Comments on: Nun Dropped from Oxford Junior Dictionary

By: Ellen

Ellen — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:56:40 +0000

As an educator, I am beffudled. As a Catholic, I’m insulted.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:53:11 +0000

Now I wonder if the words “dolt” and “short-sighted” are defined by this, um, short-sighted decision.

There’s also something I’ve always wondered about dictionaries: why would the editors remove uncommon words? Think about it: nobody goes to the dictionary to look up known words. It’s words one doesn’t know, or has no experience of, that need to be in the dictionary. Here in the US, that would include “vicar” and even “vicarage”, and definitely “bullock”, “cygnet”, and “drake”.

By: Annie

Annie — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:49:29 +0000

This is the strangest thing I’ve ever heard (well, that’s not true, I’ve heard stranger things). I thought dictionaries were supposed to include all known words that exist. I’m pretty sure the word “nun” still exists, or we’d all be visiting an imaginary blog (now wouldn’t that be fun) . The words omitted aren’t even uncommon words. Very strange.

Personally, I’m offended that they took out “porridge”. I mean seriously, how am I supposed to describe my dinner now. Some people.

By: dave james

dave james — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:57:06 +0000

David K., thank you for the lead information. Though I detest that anything is ever edited from a dictonary, I was appalled at the words that were installed. Some of the deleations I attribute from the decline of the agriaian society (long gone) but other words such as celebrity, citizenship, commonsense and democratic, I am astonished that those were not included years ago. The tradgedy is not that those words were removed but that the others were not included long ago.

By: Jean

Jean — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:34:36 +0000

Sister Julie – I just had a chance to read Sister Patty’s full article, and I am so grateful that you posted it. I loved the way she ended: “May today’s nun continue to live her life with integrity and energy. May she find good words, appropriate words to communicate to the younger cyber-literate generation – and those who are older – what is important to her and, in turn, listen to what is important to them”. The issue of the dictionary deletions is irritating on a whole lot of levels, but I love that she does not lose sight of the primary issue for any of us, no matter who we are and how we live: relationship is a constant dynamic, the most basic dynamic… and it continues, despite changing factors and conditions (even hostile factors and conditions, and those that feel diminishing), and each of us has a profound opportunity to shape that relationship if only we will. I love that she turns her attention away from her identity as a religious in the sense that it is “hers” and thus to be protected as “hers” and instead suggests that her identity is itself, first and foremost, a relationship and requires generosity and other-centeredness. Just as the identity of the trinity is, in its essence, a relationship and the Real Presence is, its essence, a relationship. I love that, and thnk you for sharing that, Sister Julie (and now my dog wants to go for a walk in his very spanky Mardi Gras beads!) Jean