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1995
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95-4-524
So numerous are the printings and editions of Wahrig's German dictionary by various presses that it is difficult to differentiate between them. This newest edition contains more than 250,000 entries and is an impressive 371 pages longer than the 1980 edition (München : Mosaik Verlag). The goal of the authors to represent the German language in its present state has been achieved; the volume contains words from the former GDR, as well as many new foreign words and concepts from the natural sciences and computer science. There is currently no comparable work available that can match the variety of headings (from Easy Rider and geokarp to Zapping). Slang and regional dialect terms are included. Many definitions and etymologies are so detailed that they resemble those of a reference book. The supplemental "Grammar" section covers both practical issues (letter-writing, capitalization, and punctuation) and more theoretical ones (case). This new Wahrig belongs in the reference section of every library. [wb/sd]
95-4-525
The "small" Wahrig, as the title announces, contains only a portion of the "big" Wahrig (cf. 95-4-524, above), or, as the front cover proclaims, the basic German vocabulary. This claim is questionable; indeed, the contents seem frozen at around 1978. Words such as "Personalcomputer" or "Ökologie," for example, do not appear. It is difficult to imagine either the function or the anticipated target group of this volume. It is neither current nor will it be of practical use for the student of German. [wb/sd]
95-4-526
The 100,000 terms included here correspond both to what one normally expects from a dictionary (e.g., the German words for "as soon as," "around," "tomorrow") as well as entries that could be found just as well in an encyclopedia (e.g., geographical terms), although it is unclear just what criteria were followed in the selection of terms. The dictionary is impressively inclusive and contains words such as "Aidstest" and "Laptop", as well as abbreviations (HIV and PDS). Many illustrations appear (e.g., "Noodles - a selection"; and a side view of an atomic submarine), though some, such as "Tropical diseases - a selection," are questionable. In the treatment of the plague (German Pest), for example, the reader is referred to "medication." Indeed, in combining the functions of the encyclopedia and the dictionary, and in its emphasis on sumptuous illustrations, this dictionary is an example of the increasing "Americanization" of German-language dictionaries. It is difficult to assess the value of this sort of dictionary. It is both up-to-date and inclusive, but the format itself (part dictionary, part lexicon, part picture book) precludes any real scholarly application, so that it cannot be recommended for academic libraries. [wb/sd]
95-4-527
This etymological dictionary, a revised edition of Akademie-Verlag's 2nd edition (1st edition, 1989), contains 8,054 alphabetically arranged keywords taken from contemporary usage. Counting variant composites and derivatives from common roots, the number of words rises to around 21,600. Idioms are included, as are loan and foreign words for which German has no direct equivalent (e.g., Gastronomie and Mechanik). Each article refers to a word's current meaning, to its first recognizable appearance, and to important related forms within the family of Germanic languages. Where composite or derived words do not fall into the expected alphabetical order, they are included in an index of words not treated in alphabetical order (p. 1635-1665; e.g., "Aasgeier" is dealt with in the article on "Geier.") The lexical sources for this edition range from archival materials at the Zentralinstitut - including papers for a reworking of the Grimm Brothers' Deutsches Wörterbuch, the Goethe-Wörterbuch, a dictionary of German contemporary usage and Marx/Engels vocabulary collections - to the views and considerations of the editorial staff. The following two reviews [95-4-528; 95-4-529] are designed as points of comparison between this and other standard dictionaries of German etymology. This dictionary is recommended for its broad inclusion of foreign words, its consistent and user-friendly lexical entries, and finally its price-to-utility ratio. [wb/rh]
95-4-528
Duden's Etymologie contains over 8,000 articles that yield, counting derivatives and composites, a total corpus of over 20,000 words. The Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen discussed in the previous entry [95-4-527] has a conceptual base more similar to Duden than to that of Kluge [95-4-529]. In Duden the contextual side of etymology is more prominent, with an emphasis on semantics and historical semantic development. Typical entries show a narrative presentation of decidedly cultural or humanistic alignment. [wb/rh]
95-4-529
This dictionary, still cited as Kluge today for its founder, first appeared in 1883. It was improved upon in subsequent decades by significant Germanists, enlarged, reworked, and from time to time reprinted without changes. Elmar Seebold undertook a completely new reworking with the 22nd edition of 1989 and has now expanded its coverage by 100 pages in this 23rd edition: up to around 13,000 words. A unique feature of Kluge is the use of textual examples--taken from magazines and monographic series in all disciplines--that document word origins. There are two long lists of these sources in the appendix in addition to a dictionary and index of terminology for the novice. In cooperation with Paul's Deutsches Wörterbuch, founded in 1897 and focusing on word history, Kluge has limited itself to the investigation of word origins. The most important differentiation to the other two dictionaries is that in Kluge the data on semantics are not meant as semantic descriptions, but as aids to identification, particularly for homonyms or rare words. Since this dictionary is also in database form, further products can be generated from it, such as the announced--but not yet published--companion volume of relevant indexes and evaluative commentaries. [sh/rh]
95-4-530
Karl Simrock (1802-1876), the compiler of this collection, author, Germanist and Shakespeare translator, was one of those (as Wolfgang Mieder writes in his introduction) who "through his collecting efforts wanted to save traditional folk literature from destruction." This edition closely follows the first, wildly popular, printing of 1846 and has undisputed value. Still, for reference purposes it can be used only with reservations, since it lacks any proverbs from the second half of the 19th century and from the entire 20th century. The sum of 12,396 is not even very impressive when set against a five-volume collection by Friedrich Wander (Deutsches Sprichwörter-Lexikon [Leipzig, 1867-1880]) that totals some 250,000 proverbs and proverb-like expressions. The order of Simrock's collection is alphabetical by main keyword (19th century usage: "Kalender" listed under "C" for instance). There is no further access by a subject index. Simrock's collection is a mere documentation, lacking any explanations or comments on etymology or cultural history. Such explanations, found in Wander's volumes, are essential for the understanding of many proverbs. Less a reference work than a culturally illuminating and handy historical anthology, Simrock's proverb collection should still not be absent from any library. [wb/rh]
95-4-531
This popular proverbs dictionary has been through five reprintings and a paperback edition since its initial appearance in 1973. The new, revised 3-volume edition of 1991/92, Das große Lexikon der sprichwörtlichen Redensarten, was reviewed in RRE/IFBA 94-1-035). Now the title has dropped the word "groß" but the text has remained unchanged for this latest paperback edition in five volumes (though smaller type and diminished quality of the illustrations make it a little harder to use). The price of the paperback makes it more accessible to the layman - presumably the target of this edition. [sh/hh]
Dictionaries of Quotations: An Introduction [abstract]
The exact functions of dictionaries of quotations are not easy to define. In his work Wörterbücher: ein internationales Handbuch zur Lexikographie, Franz Josef Hausmann lists three:
1) a mnemotechnical function: to help to recall a forgotten quotation and/or its author;
2) a writer's dictionary: for finding a quotation to express a desired thought in a speech or text and to have that thought authenticated by a universally recognized authority;
3) a somewhat amorphous function for browsers, causing the browser to muse about a topic or find out what author X thinks about topic Y.
This multiplicity of functions is represented in the following selection of dictionaries of quotations. [wb/hh]
95-4-532
This dictionary of German quotations leans heavily toward the purely literary and the biblical and tends to neglect new quotations from today's popular culture and mass media. It also omits quotations whose exact origin cannot be determined. Its strength, on the other hand, lies in the accuracy both of the quotes themselves and of their source citations. Quotes are listed alphabetically according to keywords occurring in them. (These are printed in boldface in the text.) There is an index of authors. An additional index of further keywords occurring in the listed quotations would have been helpful. All in all, though, for the dual purposes of finding out "who said that and where?" and finding a useful quote on a given subject, this volume can be recommended. [wb/hh]
95-4-533
The Bertelsmann dictionary of quotations stands diametrically opposed in style and content to the above-mentioned Reclam version. Its 25,000 quotations are listed in 450 categories (e.g. humor, vanity, bureaucracy, time) rather than by the terms that actually occur in them. The quotations are gleaned from a wide variety of sources, literary and otherwise. Many seem to come directly from the "bon mots" pages of tabloids. Aside from the name of the original speaker or writer of the quotation, no sources are cited. There is no commentary, no further elucidations, and no author index in this volume. The level of the collection is well characterized by the suggested uses printed on the jacket flap: ... for commercial jingles, autograph books, for a speech at a baptism or a company anniversary. Libraries are strongly discouraged from buying this book. [wb/hh]
95-4-534
The fifth edition of this Duden dictionary attempts to be comprehensive in its coverage, which is reason to recommend it. It includes foreign words (some no longer used), idioms, German words with foreign suffixes or prefixes, etc. Information is given regarding word-division, pronunciation, derivation, and stylistic context.
Titles in the series PC-Bibliothek use Microsoft Windows on an IBM-compatible PC with a 286 (or better, 386) processor, and 2 MB RAM. The setup is relatively quick and easy. There are four options for searching: using truncation, an error-tolerant search, full-text search, and combined search. Boolean operators (and, or, not) can be used. Although digital dictionaries have many advantages over print ones, it is helpful to compare the following two versions of the same book. [wb/mrh]
95-4-535
The larger part of this work arranges common quotations alphabetically, giving source, original context, typical use, and variations for each. The second part is arranged by themes, such as freedom, communication, mathematics, philosophy, sexuality. When searching electronically, one can look in each part separately, or combine them. [wb/mrh]
95-4-536
Although the actual content of the paper and electronic versions above (including the accompanying texts) is identical, the paper version has the advantage when it comes to using the index, which of course the electronic version lacks. For instance, a search for a quotation from Paul Fleming takes seconds in the paper index, and two minutes 42 seconds in the digital version (where it requires a full-text search). More importantly, browsing for quotations--which one is likely to do--is easier and more enjoyable in paper than electronically. [wb/mrh]
95-4-537
The digital version of the Duden universal dictionary includes 120,000 terms, arranged alphabetically, numerous abbreviations, names of important places, institutions and organizations, stars, gods, trademarks, technical terms, etc. The work has elucidative paraphrases, and many examples of how words are used in idiomatic expressions. Appended to the work is a brief grammar of the German language. On the same CD-ROM is a major English dictionary which stresses idioms, pronunciation, grammar, and use. Appended to it is information about inflection and punctuation in English. The juxtaposition of these works on a single CD-ROM will prove useful. [wb/mrh]
95-4-538
These Langenscheidt dictionaries offer all the advantages of the PC-Bibliothek for Windows: simple setup, pleasing display, ease of use, keyword and full-text search tolerant of spelling errors, Boolean searches, ability to access and copy from other programs, personal text compilation, hyperlinks to cross-references. However, the content of this dictionary - 120,000 entries - is only adequate for modest needs. There has been an attempt to include new words - a strength of the pocket dictionary - but the limits are soon reached. Some entries found in the Euro-dictionary are missing here. [wb/gh]
95-4-539
95-4-540
Langenscheidts Eurowörterbuch Englisch seems to promise more than the Taschenwörterbuch, but it has far fewer entries (48,000) and is disappointing in its consideration of phrases and idioms. The emphasis is on terms from the fields of economics, trade, travel, and office practices; some attention was also paid to politics, technology, and culture. Many current expressions represent the particular goal of the dictionary: to aid linguistic communication in the new united Europe. However, there are too few entries. The newer CD-ROM version has two advantages over the version on diskettes: ability to network and the possibility of creating the user's own reference work (the manual gives some interesting suggestions). The two versions have identical text, despite the ease with which it could have been updated. [wb/gh]
95-4-541
There were problems installing this dictionary--all the translations appeared in Greek letters until a call to the publisher made it clear that the user has to adjust the system configuration. This is a major handicap, and use of the dictionary revealed further faults: relatively long response time, a display that does not make optimal use of Windows and is confusing, and searching that offers less tolerance than Langenscheidt's PC-Bibliothek. The 10-page manual offers too little information, and the illustrations in it are hard to see. The fact that the 48,000 entries include many terms from data processing and ecology do not make up for these faults. The Pons dictionary is not as well designed as the dictionaries in the PC- Bibliothek. [wb/gh]
95-4-542
Charges of developmental shortcomings often made regarding CD-ROM products are unfortunately applicable to the CD-ROM version of the Bertelsmann-Taschenwörterbuch Englisch, which is available for DOS as well as for Windows. For example, as in the case of Pons, simultaneous searches for English-German and German-English are not possible. The search engine is also intolerant of errors. The structure of the entire product is rather idiosyncratic, although its various Table of Contentss and dialog boxes do facilitate access to a wide variety of types of entries. For this review, the Windows version was used. Anyone familiar with Windows will find the basic structures of the work intuitive. Quoted entries from various reference books are provided by means of a "bookcase" window, a useful feature of this work. Despite its shortcomings, the dictionary is still an acceptable reference tool. [wb/tk]
95-4-543
This print version of the Bertelsmann-Taschenwörterbuch is a rather modest offering, and it is certainly not as useful as the digitized version in CD-ROM. Although the two versions are nearly identical in content, the CD-ROM version is superior in that it offers color resolution in its entries. The rather small number of entries in the printed version lessens its value in offering a sufficient number of words essential to the English language. The work's preface, characterizing its usefulness for schools, continuing education, correspondence, and travelers, is very accurate. It is not however recommended for libraries, academic or public. [wb/tk]
95-4-544
This dictionary is identical to the one reviewed above in 95-4-542, with the addition of a sound element. The usual phonetic spelling is replaced with the word spoken by a native speaker (according to the "help" menu), obtained by clicking on a loudspeaker icon in the button bar. System requirements for the installation of this dictionary are: PC 386 or higher; 4MB of RAM; MS-DOS 3.3 with Windows 3.1; VGA card; Windows compatible soundcard; CD-ROM drive must conform with ISO 9660. The product was mounted for the review on a PC without sound card, so that the actual quality of the sound could not be evaluated. [wb/hh]
95-4-545
This CD-ROM offers impressive multimedia capabilities (e.g., audio pronunciation of words for the dictionary entries) and includes the works cited in the above title entry. The minimum system requirements must be met: Multimedia-PC with a 386 SX/25 processor, 4 MB of RAM, 4.5 MB of hard drive space, CD-ROM drive, soundcard, VGA+ graphic with 256 color resolution, Microsoft Windows 3.1, MS-DOS 3.1, mouse, and headphones or speakers. The installation is fairly easy. The sound features are particularly impressive for phonetics and the study of music, as for instance in the case of the musical entries in Meyers Lexikon. Audio production is also provided for such entries as birds (bird songs). Videoclips are included for major events, such as John F. Kennedy's famous 1963 speech in Berlin. The inclusion of several reference works on a single CD-ROM makes possible the flexibility of obtaining multiple search results throughout a variety of reference sources and leads the user through these results to profit from the lesser-known features and functions of the sources which it includes. All that seems to be lacking is an atlas and a quotation dictionary. [wb/tk]
95-4-546
Langenscheidt presents an entirely new form of its dictionary. The battery-operated (2 CR2032 lithium batteries), laptop-style (150 mm. wide, 88 mm. long, 19 mm. high) alpha 120 contains 120,000 English-German/German-English entries and is accompanied by a bilingual user's guide. Scarcely any functions counted among those standard for a digitalized dictionary are present: no free-text searching, no searching with Boolean operators, no data import or export, no possibility of print-outs. The keys are spaced too closely together and are only slightly raised, and the small screen displays 6 lines with an average of 23 characters each. At least the system tolerates errors in searching, offers the possibility of truncating searches and installing one's own "User's Dictionary," and has a fast retrieval time. In addition to the dictionary one finds a pocket calculator, an "Info Center" (clock, calendar, conversions for temperatures, weights and measures), an organizer (notebook, address book, appointment calendar) and word games. Given that it is not possible to load a word-processing program, all the additional functions are mere nonsense, especially in light of the high price. The dictionary gives word pronunciations in the International Phonetic Alphabet and is able to satisfy only moderately demanding searches, and the German-English dictionary lacks words such as Laptop. The alpha 120 is not suitable for libraries. [wb/rm]
95-4-547
Duden's new work, which contains 80,000 entries, provides competition for Duden's own previously published Fremdwörterbuch, with only 50,000 entries (5th ed., 1990, [Der Duden ; 5]). The difference in coverage results primarily from stronger consideration of borrowed words used only regionally or on the point of becoming obsolete, as well as borrowed technical terms. Borrowed words from the 18th and 19th centuries are included in order to facilitate the understanding of classical literature and technical, scientific, cultural and social evolution. Most of the new entries derive from English. There are also more entries dealing with word formation (e.g. hemero- or -thek), the layout is more user-friendly, pronunciations are now given in the International Phonetic Alphabet, and there is more etymological information. The dictionary is preceded by an introduction to the history and function of borrowed words, and it includes a German word/borrowed word index that contains ca. 15,000 German words for which there are synonymous borrowed words. Duden's new dictionary replaces its little brother not only for libraries. [sh/rm]
95-4-548
95-4-549
This most widely distributed collection of this type in German-language countries includes quotations that have become separated from their authors and original context and have entered everyday vocabulary, sometimes with alteration of the original wording. Quotations are presented in the following order: Bible, folk tradition, by author (by language), historical (by epoch and country), and from current affairs, this final section containing most of the new entries. Sources are meticulously and accurately cited, and secondary literature is also frequently cited. The name index includes not only authors, but also names of other persons mentioned, e.g. editors and authors of secondary literature. The index of quotations and key words includes entries by incipit (first word) as well as useful key words. There are separate indexes for English, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Latin quotations.
The pocket edition published by Knaur contains quotations only through the end of World War II and does not even contain a table of contents to help the user. No secondary literature is cited and the citations of sources are less accurate than in the larger collection (95-4-548, above), which is recommended to libraries and serious users. [sh/rm]
95-4-550
The choice of Latin quotations in this volume, compiled by a retired school teacher, is a mix of 2,700 poetry lines, sentences, words and idioms of all sorts that he felt should qualify as quotations. Each entry consists of the quotation; a German translation (these are of high quality); the original context from which the quotation was taken, with citation (this is where the most inaccuracies have slipped in); and a translation of the context, sometimes with an annotation. Unfortunately, for about one tenth of the quotations, no context is given at all, rendering the quotes unverifiable. The book gives the impression of being a random collection with superficial treatment, filled with frustrations, dead ends and inaccuracies both typographical and factual, not worthy of being called a scholarly reference tool. It may possibly find use in libraries, because of the sheer volume of the quotations listed therein, for answering the simplest type of "Who said that?" questions. [bb/hh]
95-4-551
In juxtaposition to Nota bene (cf. 95-4-550, above), this collection of only 450 quotations from classical literature makes a much more scholarly impression. Now in its 9th edition - a fact which speaks for its solid track record - the volume offers incomparably better commentary, citation quality and fullness, and general precision. A useful appendix contains the translations for Latin and Greek formulations used in everyday modern speech, such as eo ipso, ad hoc, and confer. In spite of its relatively small number of pages, this is a solid, well-developed scholarly reference tool, which can be recommended to libraries. An index to sources would make it even better. [bb/hh]
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