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

By: Sharon

Sharon — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:20:20 +0000

I am not a Nun but do live a religous life as much as I can . In doing so , I notice the change in people that surround me . I notice for example , when some of my co workers are not getting along and squabble, they turn to me and apologize for the behavior. I don’t judge anyone as I am not perfect myself but these little courtesies (sp) happen all the time . They know I pray a lot , I have and show compassion to my co workers and patients , and try to live my life with all things pointing to God. I have some people that are close to me returning to Church and sharing the experience with me . So , I do believe taking the words out of the dictionary will not be the worst that can happen . To live a good life is important to model what religous life is like will bring people together more than a word. It bothered me at first when I read about it , but Sister Julie is right about living faithfully . I won’t go on and on , but I do think living and showing faithfullness is far better than words.

By: Sister Julie

Sister Julie — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:33:18 +0000

What I really appreciate about this article is that Sister Patty addresses a bigger issue namely how we might respond to declining numbers. She reminds us that religious life and being a nun is not about how society or dictionary-publishers recognize us. Religious life is not even about what some Catholics would like it to be. Rather it’s about being a prophetic voice, living faithfully with Christ Jesus and compassionate love at the center of our lives.

By: marla

marla — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:36:49 +0000

the removal of words still in use terrifies me. it seems a sinister and deliberate shift in direction … the wrong direction… and for what??

By: David K.

David K. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:51 +0000

Although I too question the decision, it should be noted that the editing is of the children’s edition of the dictionary (designed for 7 year olds), and is part of a major revision.

Here is a list of words removed:

Carol, cracker, holly, ivy, mistletoe
Dwarf, elf, goblin
Abbey, aisle, altar, bishop, chapel, christen, disciple, minister, monastery, monk, nun, nunnery, parish, pew, psalm, pulpit, saint, sin, devil, vicar
Coronation, duchess, duke, emperor, empire, monarch, decade
adder, ass, beaver, boar, budgerigar, bullock, cheetah, colt, corgi, cygnet, doe, drake, ferret, gerbil, goldfish, guinea pig, hamster, heron, herring, kingfisher, lark, leopard, lobster, magpie, minnow, mussel, newt, otter, ox, oyster, panther, pelican, piglet, plaice, poodle, porcupine, porpoise, raven, spaniel, starling, stoat, stork, terrapin, thrush, weasel, wren.
Acorn, allotment, almond, apricot, ash, bacon, beech, beetroot, blackberry, blacksmith, bloom, bluebell, bramble, bran, bray, bridle, brook, buttercup, canary, canter, carnation, catkin, cauliflower, chestnut, clover, conker, county, cowslip, crocus, dandelion, diesel, fern, fungus, gooseberry, gorse, hazel, hazelnut, heather, holly, horse chestnut, ivy, lavender, leek, liquorice, manger, marzipan, melon, minnow, mint, nectar, nectarine, oats, pansy, parsnip, pasture, poppy, porridge, poultry, primrose, prune, radish, rhubarb, sheaf, spinach, sycamore, tulip, turnip, vine, violet, walnut, willow

and of words newly added:

Blog, broadband, MP3 player, voicemail, attachment, database, export, chatroom, bullet point, cut and paste, analogue
Celebrity, tolerant, vandalism, negotiate, interdependent, creep, citizenship, childhood, conflict, common sense, debate, EU, drought, brainy, boisterous, cautionary tale, bilingual, bungee jumping, committee, compulsory, cope, democratic, allergic, biodegradable, emotion, dyslexic, donate, endangered, Euro
Apparatus, food chain, incisor, square number, trapezium, alliteration, colloquial, idiom, curriculum, classify, chronological, block graph

The Oxford University Press is apparently getting a fair amount of heat from naturalists and biologists as well.

In the article below, an Anglican priest makes a good argument that the Oxford University Press did not exercise the best of judgment. The article also includes a brief defense by the OUP that I don’t find compelling- and I doubt many readers will. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1107770/Clergyman-blasts-Oxford-Junior-Dictionary-replacing-words-saint-devil-celebrity-vandalism.html

Best of regards, wishes and prayers to all.

David

By: JOhn Joyce

JOhn Joyce — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:12:13 +0000

Let us pray that this abuse of the language is reversed and the Junior Oxford uses as many as possible not just angling to gain celebrity by vandalism of English

By: Maureen

Maureen — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:07:36 +0000

Who uses a dictionary anymore? My own children (in HS now) use the online dictionary. A junior dictionary is going to be found in grammar school classrooms and no one will ever pull it from the shelf. No worries, Sisters.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:50:37 +0000

At difficult times in our recent history many people have asked the question ‘” Where is God ? Why did He let this happen ” . Well , they keep taking God out of schools and public places and now any hint of religion is being removed from a ” dictionary ” . When will this end ? Only God knows the answer to that !! Peace , and God bless

By: deerose

deerose — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:01:47 +0000

That is astounding. I wouldn’t buy that dictionary and probably many others wouldn’t either if they knew about this. Even if you are not a religious person, to me, these omissions indicate an unacceptable intellectual shallowness and dishonesty on the part of the publishers. I recently read an article about the self-destruction of British society- a nation losing its identity and culture. Well, keep on the path you have chosen and see what happens!

This whole issue may be troublesome for religious. But even with the dwindling numbers, I do believe religious will always thrive even if their influence is somewhat decreased. I find this type of thing especially disturbing for our society at large.

dee

By: Sister Julie

Sister Julie — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:00:25 +0000

My apologies for not having Nunday today. I wanted to post this as soon as I could. Besides, Nunday without the word “nun” would just be “day” and what fun would that be?