| What you don't know about dictionaries can kill your | | | | |
| writing | | | | 1. A word having the same or nearly the same |
| The idea of synonyms can trick you into using a | | | | meaning as another word or other words in a |
| "lightening bug" instead of calling down the "lightening" | | | | language. |
| - As Mark Twain will explain in a moment. | | | | 2. A word or an expression that serves as a |
| A writer's resources should include a good dictionary, | | | | figurative or symbolic substitute for another. |
| better yet, a shelf full of different ones. These | | | | 3. Biology. A scientific name of an organism or of a |
| books should be our best friends and one of our | | | | taxonomic group that has been superseded by |
| most important tools. But they have a few flaws | | | | another name at the same rank. |
| that can lead a writer to a warped understanding of | | | | 4. [Middle English sinonyme, from Old French |
| the nature of words. | | | | synonyme, from Latin synnymum, from Greek |
| One problem is that they specialize in associating the | | | | sunnumon, from neuter of sunnumos, synonymous. |
| meaning of different words, rather than | | | | See SYNONYMOUS.] |
| differentiating them. | | | | The word Synonymous literally means - same name. |
| Diction-aries were originally introduced in the 1700's in | | | | But since we are talking about words that are |
| an attempt to standardize the pronunciation and | | | | "different" having "different names" isn't it logical to |
| spelling of words, hence the name "diction-ary". The | | | | assume that they have "different meanings". |
| suffix "ary" means "having to do with" and the word | | | | It's just as important, if not more so, to focus on |
| "diction" originally meant simply "word". | | | | their "differences" rather than their "similarities". |
| As time moved on the word "diction" took on two | | | | If the "different" words didn't represent different |
| shades of meaning: one having to do with word | | | | concepts or ideas - why would they exist? |
| selection and the other having to do with the | | | | Is there any reason to have multiple sound symbols |
| pronunciation of words. Neither, you will notice, have | | | | (a.k.a. words) that all stand for exactly the same |
| anything to do with the meanings of words. But as | | | | thing? |
| time continued to move forward the purpose of | | | | I don't think so! |
| dictionaries was expanded to include reporting the | | | | The definition of Synonyms should be changed to |
| common meanings of words as used by writers. | | | | mean - "too stupid or lazy to differentiate the |
| Click the link below "Oxford English Dictionary" to | | | | meanings of - the two or more words in question". |
| read more about the wacky history of dictionaries. | | | | Many times the key differences in the meanings of |
| The point is that dictionaries were created by men, | | | | words (even the same word with different |
| not god, and they can be and often are wrong; and | | | | definitions) have to do with "time" or "action". |
| one of those cases is in the area of "synonyms". | | | | Eskimos have about 100 words for "snow". But just |
| Many definitions include a list of synonyms such as: | | | | try telling him that all these different words mean the |
| "Synonyms: propose, pose, propound, submit. The | | | | same thing - he'd think you were nuts. Because he |
| central meaning shared by these verbs is to present | | | | knows that those different words represent very |
| something for consideration or discussion: propose a | | | | different types of snow. And each type of snow |
| solution to a problem; a situation posing many | | | | demands different actions on his part. |
| questions and problems; propound a theory; | | | | His very survival depends on differentiating the types |
| submitting a plan." | | | | of snow, not associating them and certainly not |
| It's fine to talk about similarities but if you're going to | | | | calling them the same thing or "synonymous". |
| do so then you should also talk about differences. | | | | Mark Twain said, "The difference between the |
| No, we are not talking about antonyms (words that | | | | almost right word & the right word is really a large |
| mean the opposite of each other). What the | | | | matter - it's the difference between the lightning bug |
| dictionary should be saying is, "these are the | | | | and the lightning."- Letter to George Bainton, 10/15 |
| similarities and these are the differences between | | | | 1888 |
| these words." | | | | It doesn't sound like Mr. Twain believed in words |
| That would lead to a much better understanding. | | | | "...having the same or nearly the same meaning as |
| Instead one could get the idea that dictionary | | | | another word..." |
| publishers are trying to associate the language down | | | | Twain was noted for his careful selection of words; |
| to make is simpler. | | | | which might explain why he so often called down the |
| Perhaps - if they can remove enough words from | | | | lightening. |
| the language by calling them Synonyms - they believe | | | | This article regarding the Oxford English Dictionary is |
| they can solve the illiteracy problem. | | | | an interesting study in the wacky history of |
| One popular dictionary defined the word synonym | | | | dictionaries |
| this way: | | | | Write on... |
| Synonym, noun | | | | |