The Canadian Oxford Dictionary - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 019541120X ISBN 13: 9780195411201

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1999

Synopsis

Never before has Canadian English been so accurately and comprehensively described as in The Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
Here are 130,000 definitions, including over 2,000 distinctly Canadian words and meanings, covering every region of the country. Each of these entries is exceptionally reliable, the result of thorough research into databases of over 20 million words from more than 8,000 Canadian sources, plus an additional 20 million words from other English sources. Oxford's thorough research has ensured that new words that have recently appeared are well represented. An added feature of this dictionary is its encyclopedic element. It includes short biographies of over 800 Canadians, such as Elvis Stojko, Celine Dion and Lester B. Pearson, as well as entries on 5,000 individuals and mythical figures, and almost 6,000 place names, more than 1,200 of them Canadian. Their entries not only explain the origin of the place name, but also include the population based on the 1996 census.
With the publication of The Canadian Oxford Dictionary, Oxford University Press adds another work to its highly respected range of dictionaries, and Canadians finally have a dictionary that truly reflects their nation.

About this title

About the Author

Katherine Barber is in charge of Oxford's Canadian Dictionary Department. From the moment the project was announced, she has been conducting radio and television interviews, and for the last few years has had a regular spot on CBC Radio's "Metro Morning" show in Toronto.

From Booklist

Oxford has another winner on its hands with its latest entry in the dictionary marketplace. The new Canadian Oxford Dictionary (COD) is an instant classic. This is a well-researched, comprehensive study of Canadian English incorporating words and terminology from Canada's diverse ethnic cultures and its every region. From the surprisingly not uniquely Canadian eh to chesterfield, jambusters, pencil crayon, poutine, and squid jigger, COD explores, defines, and explains in classic Oxford English Dictionary manner--scholarly but not pedantic, clear but not simplistic--all that makes Canadian English unique.

There is also an encyclopedic aspect to COD as it includes very short biographies of more than 800 well-known Canadians and 5,000 "internationally significant" individuals. More than 6,000 geographic locations and features, both Canadian and worldwide, are also defined, as are important historical events. Pronunciation of words is based on surveys and daily use. Does one pronounce schedule as "shedule" or "skedule" ? Either could be "eether" or "eyether." Spelling variations are also noted: theatre or theater, labour or labor. It must be noted that although this is meant to be a Canadian dictionary, with 2,000 uniquely Canadian words and uses, it is clearly international in its scope, with U.S., British, and Australian English also making up some of the more than 130,000 entries. The emphasis is on how terms and words would be used in a Canadian context.

The work is the result of more than five years of research, using well-known Canadian lexicographers as well as experts in ethnic languages and their idiomatic use in Canadian English. Contributors and project team members are listed just after the table of contents. There is a short history of Canadian English and its growth and change from Loyalist American English and the evolution of Aboriginal, Inuit, and ethnic words into Canadian English. At the end of the dictionary are several appendixes: a six-page style guide; a list of all prime ministers and governors general of Canada; weights, measures, and notations; and alphabets in the Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, and Russian.

The layout is easy-to-read and easy-to-use: two columns per page, with entries in boldface for ease of searching and boldface headers on every page. Pronunciations and examples of how a word is used in everyday language ensure a thorough study of any term or word. The seven-page "Guide to the Use of This Dictionary" is thorough and clear.

This is a first edition and a completely new work for Oxford University Press. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary is a highly recommended reference tool for academic institutions that include programs in Canadian studies, or the study of the English language, as well as those U.S. public libraries found along northern borders. It can go almost without saying that every Canadian library--school, public, academic, and special--must have at least one copy of this indispensable guide to Canadian English on its shelves.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 019541120X
• ISBN 13: 9780195411201
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 1726
• Editor: Barber Katherine