The Wordsworth Dictionary of Difficult Words [antikvár]

PREFACE The only ^pects of this Dictionary requiring comment or explanation are those concerned with the arrangement of entries and the pronunciation system. The arrangement is, of course, alphabetical ; but in certain cases where it is convenient or where the alphabetical order is not unduly departed from by doing so, a system of grouping for compounds and derivatives has been adopted. The entry that heads the group is either the first word in the group from the alphabetical standpoint, or the most familiar word of the group ; the remaining entries of the group comprise different "endings" to the sjame stem as that of the main entry. By means of such grouping reference is facilitated, and the number of entries which it is possible to include in a book of this size is greatly increased. Foreign words and phrases are not relegated to a separate vocabulary, but are included in the body of the book in their alphabetical order. As regards pronunciation, the simplest method consistent with accuracy has been adopted. The ordinary alphabet, with the addition of only six phonetic symbols, has been used. Vowels are clearly distinguished ; short vowels are printed with no modiiîcation, and long vowels bear the conventional sign of length (-) above them. Consonants are printed as ordinarily pronounced. The six symbols referred to are : », representing the vowel murmur ; dh, representing the voiced th sound ; zh, representing the sound of s in pleasure ; and h, il and k, representing the French nasal and fronted «, and the Scottish guttural ch respectively. At the foot of each pair of facing pages there is a key to the pronunciation, and the system is more fully explained on. page 8. It should be emphasised, since this is one of the departures from common practice in this Dictionary, that the pronunciations given are those occurring in ordinary speech, particularly as it is spoken at the usual speed by a fluent speaker, and do not represent the pedantic exactitude that insists on the clear and full value being given to every vowel and consonant. Extremely precise pronunciations, though of course correct, are too often merely the sign of ignorance ; one who is thoroughly familiar with a word does not say it as if he were i/w 1 ' If V ' m", i. ^ i! )', i ! , ! I I