From Library Journal
The purpose of this work, which is meant to be used in conjunction with a standard dictionary and thesaurus, is to help retrieve words only dimly remembered, or [to] lead to specific new words which otherwise might never have been discovered. Sheehan (English, Olive-Harvey Coll.) divides his dictionary into three parts: the Dictionary, which contains the meanings of suffixes, prefixes, combining forms, and roots; the Finder, which lists concepts and word parts that express that concept or meaning; and the Categories, which contain words and their corresponding word parts arranged in clusters of meaning. The Dictionary and the Finder are the most interesting sections. In the Dictionary you learn, for instance, that the base pnig means choke; suffocate (pnigophobia). In the Finder you can look up dry and discover arid-, celo-, cherso-, and -sicc- ; then you can turn to a standard English-language dictionary and find the various words beginning with these prefixes that can be used to convey dry. The Categories section is similar to the Finder but groups the words by 15 categories, e.g., Animals and Shapes. This is a somewhat specialized reference, unlikely to see a lot of use, yet students preparing for the verbal portion of the Graduate Record Exam will find it a treasure trove. Recommended for public libraries where there is an interest and for most academic libraries."Cynthia A. Johnson, Barnard Coll. Lib., New York
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
Part one defines word parts. Part two allows the reader to work backward from well-known words to the word parts that express the concepts (for example, skill can be expressed by combining words with -craft, -ship, or techno-). In part three, word parts are organized by categories, such as "Animals," "Colors," and "Fear or Dislike of . . ." RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
