Dictionary-skills.ppt 44824

Dictionary Skills How to make best use of Dictionary?

Meaning of Dictionary: Oxford English Dict. • n. book explaining, usu. in alphabetical order, words of a language, or giving their equivalent in another language; reference book of words and topics of subjects arranged in alphabetical order.

Dictionary: its meaning… • It is primarily a book of reference, but a book worth studying. • It is to supply much more than just meanings and spellings. • It has a wealth of information. • It records the changes in vocabulary.

Philology > Etymology… • Philology is the name given to the science of languages. • Etymology deals with the history of words. • A few examples… Canter, Boycott, Assassin.

Etymology • Origin of words: • Assassin: Benzir Bhutto was assassinated on 27th December, 2007. • Originated from hashshashim or hashisheater. • Hashish contains intoxicating properties and was supplied to the fanatical Muslims to kill Christians during Crusades.

It enriches Vocabulary… • A good vocabulary is one of the hallmarks of an educated person, and a priceless possession both in business and in social life. • How to acquire it?

Acquire vocabulary from… • Conversation, Listening radio/TV/audio track, Reading …. And … • Regular use of the DICTIONARY…

Don’t forget… • It is not enough to know only what a word means….

use it in conversation and writing.

• One must be able to

Dictionary Plan • Each and every dictionary has its unique plan. • Read first a few pages of dictionary to understand dictionary. • The introduction explains the plan of dictionary.

How Dictionary helps? • Accentuation: Stress pattern. • It is important to learn which syllable take stress (it is indicated by a dash or dot placed immediately after the stressed syllable).

• Transfer of stress form one syllable to another sometimes alter the grammatical functions as well as the meaning of a word. • For instance, • ab’stract, with stress on first syllable, is a noun and means a summary, while abstract’, the stress on the second syllable, is a verb and means to take away

Hymonyms and Paronyms • Another class of words is frequent source of trouble. • Words similar in sound but different in meaning – Hymonyms. • Words similar in from but different in meaning or use – Paronyms. • Lets discuss some examples…. • WWYP – work with your partners….

Some examples: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Bear – Bare – Beer Foul –Fawl Alter – altar Antic – Antique Birth – Berth Bell – Bail Beach – Beech – Bitch Queue – cue Desert – Dessert Dew – due Goal – Gaol Magnet – magnate Patrol – petrol Prey – pray Whether - weather

Some more examples… • • • • • • • • • • •

Wait – weight Sick- seek Sun – son Week – weak Stationary – stationery Storey – story Sea – see Write – right – wright – rite Seen – sin – scene Herd – heard Hart – heart

Lets make use of Dictionary… • Distinguish the meaning of the words forming each of the following pairs: • Alternate – alternative • Beside – besides • Elicit – illicit • Emigrant – immigrant • Credible – creditable • Human – humane • Industrial - industrious

Etymology… • Write down about the origin of the following : • Catalogue, commerce, creditor, importer, insurance • Messrs, mortgage, prospectus, quotation, transport

Parts of Speech • • • • •

Noun Verb Adverb Adjective Write four sentence with ‘SUCCESS’ using it as the above mentioned parts of speech in each sentence:

• Success always comes after hard work. (Noun) • He is a successful businessman. (Adj) • India did not succeed in defeating. (Verb) Australia, thanks to Umpires. • He successfully ed B.C.A. (Adverb)

Light • The sun gives as light. (noun) • A light purse makes a heavy heart. (Adj) • We need torch to light us on our way. (verb) • He treated it in light hearted manner. (Adv)

The need for exactness… • Ability to choose and use the right words depends upon the range of one’s vocabulary, and this will be adequate only if opportunities are taken to refer good dictionaries. • Words change their meanings. • See this example:

Variants of word ‘KILL’… • He was slain on the battlefield. • The robbers killed him and looted his property. • He was murdered in cold blood. • All the sheep were slaughtered. • The criminal was executed.

Confusing words… • Do not confuse this… • Accept (to receive, agree) • Achieve (to attain by effort) • Acquaint ( to make aware) • Address (formal, and may be written)

• With this… • Except (to exclude) • Get, reach ( to obtain, possibly without effort) • Inform ( to tell) • Speech ( less formal, and presumed to be spoken)

Online Dctionary… • www.dictionary.com • www.thefreedictionary.com • How to search good dictionaries on internet? • How to use computer dictionaries? • Encarta, Advance Learners 7 th Ed & Oxford Genie.

Thank You • • • • • •

By Dr. Dilip Barad Dept. of English Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar – Gujarat India.