This Dictionary is based on the . available data that was compiled and I edited for the publication of the Transliterated Hindi-Hindi-English Dictionary (Allied Chambers). In addition, valuable grammatical information such as the transitivity and intransitivity of verbs, has been indicated and many more phrases and descriptions have been added.
The nature of the words listed ranges from current to archaic to accomodate not only the readers of contemporary texts but also the readers of older literature. The dictionary lists approximately 70,000 main and subentries.
A wide range of Hindi idioms, sayings and proverbs has been included. Also included are everyday expressions from the various dialects which have found their way into written expression, and approximately 7,000 technical terms.
This Dictionary also contains an index of all its lemmata in Transliterated Hindi with their Devanagari equivalents.
This Hindi-English dictionary has been composed on the basis of the available data that was compiled and edited for the publication of our Transliterated Hindi-Hindi-English dictionary (1993, ISBN 81-86062-10-6). In addition, valuable grammatical information such as the transi- tivity and intransitivity of verbs, has been indicated and many more phrases and descriptions have been added.
The role of this dictionary in national integration
• The written language ensures the linguistic unity of the country. It provides a medium of communication over the vast geographical area whose numerous and widely diverse regional languages and local dialects it transcends. Hence, for many years now, the Government, especially by means of the Central Hindi Directorate and many such organisations, is ac- tively involved in the propagation of Hindi as an unifying language for India. This movement has met with partial success. Therefore we have added to this dictionary an index of all its lemmata in Transliterated Hindi with their Devanagari equivalents.
Salient features of the dictionary
• Hoping to be functional for all kinds of users, we have compiled a large number of words. The nature of the words listed ranges from current to archaic to accomodate not only the readers of contemporary texts but also the readers of older literature. The dictionary lists approximately 70,000 main and subentries. • A wide range of Hindi idioms, sayings and proverbs has been included. Also included are everyday expressions from the various dialects which have found their way into written expression. • The impact of Western civilization has created the serious linguistic problem of expressing a vast and ever increasing number of new concepts for which no words in Hindi exist. Reluc- tance to borrow wholesale from European languages has spurred efforts to coin, in immense numbers, technical terms for almost all fields of knowledge. This dictionary contains approxi- mately 7,000 technical terms.
Acknowledgements
It is proper to give an account of the sources to which we are indebted for the materials of this dictionary. Due to the fact that our publications are based upon a computerised database of the Hindi language, these sources have basically remained the same as in the Transliterated Hindi-Hindi-English dictionary published by Allied Chambers. All sources are as such duly listed in the bibliography.
Even the team has not changed. It consists of the following menbers: Dr Dick F. Plukker, India Institute, Amsterdam, who devised the system of syllabification for Transliterated Hindi and assisted Ms. Sangeeta S. Parikh with the development of a consistent transliteration.
Eng Rob F. Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Academic Computing Services Amsterdam, who still links our notorious data files with the outer world through his logic and diligent labour. Ms Sangeeta S. Parikh, who as editor has once again wrestled through the lemmata in a way that not many will match.
We owe our acknowledgements to: Prof Ramchandra (Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad), Mr Frans Velthuis (University of Gronin- gen), my father G.A. Wagenaar, my wife Gauri Wagenaar and my brother Taco B. Wagenaar. Without the assistance of all those mentioned, this work could never have been accomplished. Over the years we have consulted several people about our dictionary project. However, due to technical circumstances, we were unable to list their names in our previous work. Therefore we take this opportunity to thank Dr W.M. Callewaert (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), Dr G.L. van Driem (Rijks Universiteit Leiden)' Dr R.S. McGregor (University of Cambridge) and Dr R. Snell (SOAS, University of London) for their valuable and critical comments.
And finally I should not forget Sarosh B. Anklesaria from Ahmedabad, who, as my godson and friend, has been my source of inspiration.
To them and those not mentioned here, I express my deepest gratitude.
We, the compilers, editor and other team members hope that our dictionary will contribute to a better understanding of and between people.
In view of the diversity and complexity of the material presented, errors and inconsistencies are bound to occur, for which we must ask the user's indulgence.
Suggestions for improvement are welcome!
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