Sharp PW-E350 operation manual World English, Spelling

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World English

English is spoken as a first language by more than 300 million people throughout the world, and used as a second language by many millions more. It is the language of international communication in business, diplomacy, sports, science, technology, and countless other fields.

The main regional standards are American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand, South African, Indian, and West Indian. Within each of these regional varieties, a number of highly differentiated local dialects may be found. For example, within American English, Southern and Appalachian English have a long history and a number of distinctive features, which have in turn influenced other varieties.

The scope of a dictionary such as the New Oxford American Dictionary, given the breadth of material it aims to cover, must be limited for the most part to the vocabulary of the standard language of the United States rather than world English variation. Nevertheless, the New Oxford American Dictionary includes thousands of regionalisms encountered in standard contexts in the different English-speaking areas of the world. For examples, see bunyip, kaross, parkade, serviette, snog, tuque and tyke.

The underlying approach has been to get away from the traditional, parochial notion that “correct” English belongs to a chosen few in any one geographical area or social class. A network of consultants in all parts of the English-speaking world has assisted in this by giving information and answering queries—by e-mail, on a regular, often daily basis—on all aspects of the language in a particular region. Often, the aim has been to find out whether a particular word, sense, or expression, well known and standard in American English, is used anywhere else. The picture that emerges is one of complex interactions among an overlapping set of regional standards.

The vast majority of words and senses in the New Oxford American Dictionary are common to all the major regional standard varieties of English, but where important local differences exist, the New Oxford American Dictionary records them. There are over 6,000 geographical labels on words and senses in this dictionary, but this contrasts with more than ten times that number that are not labeled at all.

The complexity of the overall picture has necessarily been simplified, principally for reasons of space and clarity of presentation. For example, a label such as “chiefly Brit.” implies, but does not state, that a term is not standard in American English, though it may nevertheless be found in some local varieties in the United States. The label “Brit.,” on the other hand, implies that the use is found typically in standard British English but is not found in standard American English, though it may be found elsewhere.

Spelling

It is often said that English spelling is both irregular and illogical, and it is certainly true that it is only indirectly related to contemporary pronunciation. English spelling reflects not modern pronunciation but the pronunciation of the 16th and 17th centuries, in particular through the influence of the works of Shakespeare and the Authorized Version of the Bible. However, in the two centuries between Chaucer and Shakespeare, English pronunciation had undergone huge changes, but spelling had failed to follow.

In the 18th century, standard spelling became almost completely fixed. The dictionaries written in this period, particularly Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language (1755), helped establish this standard, which, with only minor change and variation, is the standard accepted in British English today. Just over fifty years after the American colonies became independent, in 1828, Noah Webster published a dictionary with many of the spellings that we recognize today as being distinctly American rather than British. The complex history of the English language, together with the absence of any ruling body imposing “spelling reform,” has ensured that many idiosyncrasies and anomalies in standard spelling have not only arisen but have also been preserved.

The New Oxford American Dictionary gives advice and information on spelling, particularly those cases that are irregular or that otherwise cause difficulty for native speakers. The main categories are summarized below.

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Contents PW-E350 Introduction Contents Using the PW-E350 for the first time Getting StartedTo attach a commercially available strap Turning the power on/offAuto power off function Key notation used in this manualData contained in the PW-E350 Layout Operation guidance message Display symbolsKey assignments Selecting a dictionary / function in the main menu Basic OperationInputting words for a dictionary search List view selecting an item scrolling Filter search view selecting an item scrollingRecalling the terms previously searched h Detailed view scrollingShifting the displayed character size z Browsing Notes r Listing a summary of detailed view items qSearching a word on the screen Setting the key sound on/off Set-up MenuStarting Auto Demo mode Setting the Auto power off activation timeAdjusting the LCD contrast Inputting CharactersModifying entry Deleting unnecessary charactersBrowsing Notes Looking up a word Filter searchIf there is no match found Phrase search Crossword solverAnagram solver Spellcheck functionFurther information If the list of words does not appear as expectedUsing the Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English Phrase search Using the Super jump function How to use the Super jump functionSpecifying a Dictionary to jump to About the detailed view after the JumpDeleting the history list of a Dictionary How to use the History functionDeleting a history item Example Operation Display Prior to initiating calculationsCalculation examples Converting currencies Setting a currency rateCurrency converter Metric converter Units capable of being convertedPrecautions Replacing the batteryBattery used When to replace the batteryReset procedures Reset procedure if trouble occursSpecifications Troubleshooting Structure Core Sense and Subsense New Oxford American DictionaryIntroduction NoseSpecialized case of the core sense, e.g Specialist Vocabulary Encyclopedic MaterialTerms relating to verbs GrammarTerms relating to nouns Terms relating to adjectivesDatabank and Citation Evidence Evidence and Illustrative ExamplesTerms relating to adverbs Specialist ReadingExamples Word HistoriesUsage Notes Standard English World English SpellingInflection Variant spellingsHyphenation VerbsSyllabification NounsAdjectives Key to the Pronunciations Variant Pronunciations Foreign SoundsStress Marks Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English Gamble, .... chance on/ uponRestricted Usage Grammatical DifferencesRelationship of Meanings Memo 4329Write to our Customer Assistance Center 3044Visit our Web Site Send an E-mail Limited Warranty Sharp Electronics Corporation