The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (review)

Reviews179 The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 3d ed. 1992. Anne H. Soukhanov,Joseph M. Patwell, and others, ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. $39.95 U. S. The third edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the Englkh Language (AHD3) is the first major revision of a dictionary that, with its usage panel notes, its careful etymologies, and its "Appendix of Indo-European Roots," aroused more public comment than any new dictionary since W3. The first edition, The American Heritage Dictionary of the Englkh Language (AHDl), was edited by William Morris and published by Houghton Mifflin and the American Heritage Publishing Company in 1969. The AHDl was, as its introduction noted, "an entirely new work" (vi). That is no longer true of the AHD3. In 1976, an abbreviated and less expensive version was published as the "New College Edition," itselfrevised and published in 1982 as the "Second College Edition" (AHD2C). Reviewers lamented the omission ofthe "Appendix of Indo-European Roots" from the AHD2C, and in 1985 the publishers issued The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (AHDI-ER), revised and edited by Calvert Watkins as a supplement to the AHD2C. This contained, in addition to a revised version of the original "Appendix of Indo-European Roots," a word-index that allowed the etymological use of the AHDI-ER with the AHD2C or any other dictionary. In spite of the publication of the AHD2C and AHDI-ER, however, the AHDl remained in print through early 1992 as the "Large Format Edition"; and the AHD2C is still in print. The publishers have announced, however, a "Third College Edition ," available after June of 1993 for $21.95. They will reinstate the "Appendix of Indo-European Roots" in this less expensive format. This review will compare the AHD3 with AHDl and AHD2C, looking where relevant at the AHDI-ER and taking a briefpre-publication look at the "Third College Edition." Format and contents of the AHDl, AHD2C, and AHD3 AHDl Not counting the charts in the end-papers, the AHDl contained 1,600 pages 8" x 107/e" in size. The main printed portion of the page was 5V*" x 9%"; pagination and, in the main-entries section, the pronunciation key and the headers appeared above and below this portion, with illustrations in the 1 Vs'' outer margin of each page. The main-entries section was 1,491 pages. The 50 pages of front matter included: Introduction2 pp. Editorial Staff1 + Contributors1 — 180Reviews Usage Panel2 + Consultants2— Articles29 Guide to the Dictionary9 Pronunciation Key1 The "Special Articles" (a titled section in the Table of Contents) included "A Brief History of the English Language" (Morton Bloomfield), "The Indo-European Origin of English" (Calvert Watkins), "Good Usage, Bad Usage, and Usage" (Morris Bishop), "Dialects of English" (Henry Lee Smith,Jr.), "Grammar and Meaning" (Richard Ohmann), "The Spelling and Pronunciation of English" (Wayne O'Neil), and "Computers in Language Analysis and in Lexicography" (Henry Kucera). Back matter (59 pp., 1,492— 1 ,550) included "Picture Credits" (4 pp.) and, as an Appendix, a dictionary of "Indo-European Roots" (46 pp.) preceded by a "Guide to the Appendix" (2 pp.) and an article, "Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans" by Calvert Watkins (7 pp.). Inside the front cover was a "Key to Special Reference Materials" (2 pp.), inside the back cover a "Table of Indo-European Sound Correspondences " (1 p.) and a chart, "The Indo-European Family of Languages" (2 pp.). AHD2C Not counting the "Key to Special Reference Materials" and the "Index " inside the back cover, the AHD2C contains 1,568 pages 6'/2 x 9Vk" in size. The main printed portion ofthe page is 4%" x 81A"; pagination and, in the main-entries section, the pronunciation key and the headers appear above and below this portion, with illustrations in the I1A" outer margin of each page. The main-entries section is 1 ,339 pages. The 64 pages of front matter include: Introduction2+ pp. Editorial Staff1 + Usage Panel3 Consultants2— [Articles]29 Guide to the Dictionary 13 Style Manual9 Pronunciation Key1 The articles (listed without an inclusive title in the Table of Contents) include "Language, Culture, and the American Heritage" (Lee Pederson), "Usage and Acceptability in Language...