Page Two
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY
ExpertscompileoldEnglish dictionary
By LORI GENDELMAN it is being compiled to fill the in 1952. The letters "M" and tails building and ordering defi- DR. KUHN, who has a Ph.D.
In a small office above Bi- need for a dictionary from the "N" are being edited now. nitions, the most difficult and in English Linguistics from the
cycle Jim's, a devoted staff of Middle English point of view, Work began on M in 1972, and important part, selecting quo- University of Chicago, was ap-
cyclis historians have st comprised solely of Middle En- 3 fasciles were published in tations for examples, listing pointed as editor in 1961, when
English istrin have sent glish vocabulary and documen- 1975, with 3 more for that let- variant forms and etymologiz- the previous editor, Hans Kur-
46 years trying to save a lan- tation of its usage and develop- ter expected to be finished soon. , ing. ath, resigned. "I was chosen
guage used over 400 years ago. ment. The reading program, which In 1930, Samuel Moore Pro- because of my experience, and
Although one might expect entails gathering data from f f English at the U rother qualifications such as
that Middle English, used in the THE WORK is a "scholarly Middle English source - books, ssorwas chosen as editorvof genius, a sense of humor and a
British Commonwealth between dictionary" according to Kuhn, ended in 1946. In this stage, a the Dictionary by the Modern dirty mind to deal with euphe-
the years 1100-1400, would be a and is valuable to literary peo- staff of 100 volunteers read ev- Lamisms," said Kuhn."One must
long-forgotten language, Pro- ple studying authors such as ery book surviving in Middle Language Association of Ame i also be an egotist to tell the
fessor Sherman Kuhn claims it Chaucer, Tolken and even English and looked for unusual imewndt eayestatethat whole world what a word
is, "Directly useful to anyone James Joyce, and to historians words, ordinary words in com- te, work already sta mov means, but you must also be
working with the English lan- interested in tracing the devel- mon usages or those used in ed to Ann Arbor along with a humble and accept your mis-
guage." opment of English words. special senses. Although work a from the Oxford English takes."
Kuhn, a professor of old and Presently, the dictionary is soon commenced on the bibliog- Dictionary's publishers of a The funding is supplemented
middle English at the Univer-i raphy of sources and editing of by the Horace Rackhamand
sity since 1948, is the current ing published at the rate of definitions, sometimes a dozen million word slips with quota-since 1975, the Andrew Mellon
tio since81948,ns themcurrenlefoundation
editor of the Middle English 2 to 3 128 page fasciles a year. new word usages are still found E foundations.
Dictionary. He explained that The first edition was published each week. More than 3 million Since 1936, the University has The Mellon grant allowed the
slips with a word and its con- provided most of the funds for editors to double their staff,
text have been found. maintaining the editorial staff so work will be completed more
The projected date for com- and its publications. "The Uni- quickly. "The devil may not
SPONSORED by the OFFICE OF ETHICS pletion of the project is 1982, versity is convinced our work get me after all," says Kuhn.
AND RELIGION and CANTERBURY HOUSE at which time an additional is useful and practical," said Kuhn admits that the diction-
book will be published detailing Prof. Kuhn, "And, though we'll ary takes time away from his
words recently found and oldner be asmwe-own a he ,nattempts ublicaion
{ words in need of correction. football team, we do bring the and says, "I would not be in
Several Michigan professors have been asked to THE EDITING rcess en- versity prestige among Ann Arbor if not for the dic-
prepare a lecture as if it were the last lecture scholars. tionary, and of course I haven't
prprV etr si twr h atlcue-___ ___ been overwhelmed by offers of;'
they would ever give-to consider what they ber joby."
feel would be most important to say.
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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6th
PROF. MARVIN FELHEIM
AMERICAN CULTURE
WE DNESDAYS, 4 TO 5 P.M.
AUDITOR IUM A, ANGELL HALL
Next Week: PROF. ALFRED MEYER
Wednesday, October 13th
Join I he Uaily Sta t
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And when 1982 and the big
dictionary's completion arrive,
he says, "there'll be a big cele-
bration."
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Volume LXXXVII, No. 24
Wednesday, October 6, 1976
is edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan. News
phone 764-0562.Second class postage
paid at Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109,
IPublished d a I I y Tuesday through
Sunday morning during the Univer-
sity year at 420 Maynard Street, Ann
Arbor, Michigan 48109. Subscription
rates: $12 Sept. thru April (2 semes-
ters); $13 by mail outside Ann
Arbor.
Summer session published Tues-
day through Saturday morning.
ubscripton rates: $6.50 in Ann
Arbor; $7.50 by mail outside Ann
Arbor.
The sound of vinyl
What to do with a 300 pound plastic replica of the Liberty Bell? A Reseda, California shop-
ping center apparently didn't know either, and having one such nifty item somewhere in
stock they proceeded to unload it on Mary Webster as a giveaway prize. She soon discover-
i
$4.50"$5.50 -$6.50
Reserved Seats Available
Michigan Union Box Office
11:30 - 5:30 Monday - Friday
763-2071
for mail order details
and further information
sorry, no personal checks
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Sunday 10:30-12:00 Noon
FREE PARKING
about the summer
If you are thinking that far ahead,
we may have a job for you.
W. R. Grace & Co. is looking for
outstanding undergraduates to ioin us in
a summer business internship program
between the iunior and senior year.
We are not looking for just any
undergraduates. We are looking for espe-
cially talented ones:
Students with outstanding academic
records, and with a demonstrated
interest in outside activities...-
Men and women with a genuine
interest in business, and with that
special mix of imagination, ability
and foresight necessary for success..
Individuals of inordinate curi-
osity, and the willingness to learn
in an unstructured environment.
You may be an engineering,
business or liberal arts major. We care
more about the individual than the
academic discipline.
..
a , ;
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Telling them of your business,
or your next sale,
or your group's latest project,
YOU CAN REACH THE SAME READERS
WITH AN AD THIS LARGE FOR JUST
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