The harper dictionary of foreign terms

Preface English grows not only through coinage of new words and employment of existing English words in novel ways, but also through adoption of foreign words and phrases that give opportunities for colorful and precise expression. We still meet in camera, carry on intrigues sub rosa, converse tờte--tờte, and bid one another adieu, adiús, arnvederci, ciao, or auf Wiedersehen. And this is just the tip of the linguistic iceberg. People eager to undertake an activity are gung ho, the vengeful among us resort to lex talionis, amateur chefs (itself a foreign word taken into our language) know the implications of cordon bleu, and who does not speak of charisma? All this is just a sampling, a potpourri (the French spelling is pot pourri), of the tens of thousands of foreign terms borrowed by our flourishing language. Some of the terms are so well established in English that we sometimes fail to recognize them as borrowings, but others are used in full knowledge that they are of foreign origin. Thus, when someone says annus mirabilis or post hoc ergo propter hoc or requiescat in pace, it is clear that Latin is being used. In contrast, when people say "ad hoc" or "antebellum" or "sub rosa," they may well be unaware of the foreign origins of what now are standard English expressions. From the time the Dictionary of Foreign Terms was first compiled in 1934, the intention of its editors has remained constant: to create a single-volume source that explains foreign phrases and words likely to be encountered in American and English literature. Many of these terms may no longer be current among today''s speakers of the fifty-odd languages on which the dictionary draws. A good example of this group of phrases is the extensive AngloIndian vocabulary included in the dictionary. The British raj is long gone, but its rich legacy of terms is readily apparent to devotees of such writers as Rudyard Kipling, E. M. Forster, and Paul Scott. The dictionary is not intended to serve as a guide to words now recognized as English. That responsibility is left to standard IX Preface x dictionaries, which usually provide etymological information along with definitions. Rather, by dealing with expressions that are foreign, the editor hopes to spare readers the trouble of searching for the meanings of word after word in a foreign-language dictionary and then attempting to put a definition together. Aside from its utilitarian raison d''ờtre, this dictionary provides other benefits. Finding out how people of other cultures express their thoughts affords insight into attitudes, prejudices, and practiceseven perfunctory browsing will show that people everywhere have thoughts that are marvelously alike and astonishingly different. For this reason, the dictionary entertains and enriches the reader who discovers the variety of ways in which people express similar thoughts. On eschewing obfu scat ion: Frenchcall a cat a cat: appeler un chat un chat. Germancall a thing by its right name: das Ding beim rechten Namen nennen. Portuguesebread, bread; cheese, cheese: pọo, pọo; queijo, queijo. Spanishcall bread bread, and wine wine: llamar al pan, pan y al vino, vino. On love: Frenchlove and smoke cannot be hidden: l''amour et la fumộe ne peuvent se cacher. Italianlove rules without rules: amor regge senza legge. Germanthe illusion is brief, the repentence long: der Wahn ist kurz, die Reu'' ist lang. Latinlove is a kind of military service: militiae species amor est. Spanishlove and prudence cannot go together: amar y saber no puede todo ser. On making the most of today: Germana sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the roof: ein Sperling in der Hand ist besser als eine Taube auf dem Dache. Italianbetter an egg today than chicken tomorrow: meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani. Latinenjoy today, trusting as little as possible to what tomorrow may bring: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. On marriage: Germanearly marriage, long love: frỹhe Hochzeit, lange Liebe. Italianpraise married life but remain single: lauda la moglie e tienti donzello. Portuguesea rich widow weeps with one eye and signals with the other: viuva rica com urn olho chora, e com outro repica. Spanishmarry and be tamed: casarỏs y amansarỏs. xi Preface On money: Frenchmoney is a master key: l''argent est un bon passe-partout. Germanmoney rules the world: Geld regiert die Welt. Italianmoney is the brother of money: il danaro ố fratello del danaro. Latinmoney, like a queen, gives rank and beauty: et genus et formam regina pecunia donai. Portugueselaws go where dollars please: l vo leu onde querem cruzados. Spanisha golden key opens any door: no hay cerradura donde es oro la ganzỳa. The first edition of the dictionary was the work of the distinguished lexicographer C. O. Sylvester Mawson, who was born in England in 1870. Mawson came to the United States to join the editorial staff of the Century Dictionary. He later was an editor of Roget''s International Thesaurus as well as of several Merriam-Webster dictionaries and remained active as a lexicographer until his death in 1938. The second edition of the Dictionary of Foreign Terms appeared in 1975. It was prepared by Charles Berlitz, a writer of foreign-language textbooks, who added terms that had come into use after Mawson''s time. The present edition has three principal goals: to correct errors in the work, particularly in the English transliteration of classical Greek entries; to add terms from languages that have come into prominence since the last revision; and to furnish an English index to the thousands of terms explained in the volume. As for how well the goal of correcting errors has been met, sharp-eyed readers will inevitably judge for themselves. The languages that contribute the bulk of the many new entries are Japanese, Russian, and modern Hebrew. Finally, it is hoped that readers will find the index helpful when they have difficulty in recalling elusive foreign words, phrases, and proverbs. A brief summary of the classes of words and other features included in this volume indicates the scope of The Harper Dictionary of Foreign Terms: Classes of Words Foreign words and phrases from more than fifty languages frequently used in conversation or likely to be encountered in the fields of literature, law, science, politics, music, art, diplomacy, fashion, travel, food, and dining Words from Asian languages, particularly Japanese and Chinese, that have been brought into use in America in recent years Preface xii Terms from languages relatively new on the international scene, such as Swahili and modern Hebrew, and currently extending their linguistic areas of influence Expressions adopted into English from the American Indian languages Classical Greek terms given in the English or Greek alphabet, depending on the form in which they are likely to appear in most texts. Entries in the Greek alphabet include a rendering in the English alphabet, employing the modern scheme of Greek transliteration. Readers unfamiliar with the Greek alphabet will find that the English transliterations are helpful in locating entries alphabetically. Terms of French and Spanish origin peculiar to Canada and the southwestern United States Quotations from classical and modern authors frequently used in literature and public addresses, with passages from the Vulgate and the Old Testament in Greek and in English transliteration Folk sayings and proverbs from foreign languages that give insight into other cultures while providing pithy ways of expressing universal ideas Translations and definitions of foreign-language mottoes of states, institutions, and prominent families Usage and Syntactic Data Translations and definitions of all foreign terms used, with the secondary meanings and popular usages indicated where necessary Plurals of all words that might present difficulty to the reader of English Feminine forms of foreign nouns and adjectives Foreign abbreviations and contractions Special Terms Naval and military terms from foreign languages Menu terms in French, Italian, and other languages, with descriptions of many foreign dishes Archaic terms and phrases, included for the convenience of readers of old texts New to this edition is an English index to all foreign entries. Acknowledgments I wish to thank all the people who helped in the preparation of this new edition of Dictionary of Foreign Terms, particularly Nina Davis, Christopher Dadian, David Graff, Cathy Guigui, Antje Munroe, and Ellen Sackelman, who assisted in checking entries for languages beyond my own grasp, suggesting new entries, and preparing certain definitions. They did their work enthusiastically and with the greatest care. As a result of their ministrations, the volume has been much improved. In preparing the index for this volume, I had the cooperation of Felice Levy, indexer par excellence, who has collaborated with me many times. In her work on this volume, she was ably assisted by Barbara Gold, one of her associates. Since I was not cut out to be even an apprentice in the arcane art they practice, I especially value their contributions. Sally Bunch served as editorial assistant for the project, as she has many times before for various projects developed at The Hudson Group, and I wish to thank her for her efforts. I wish also to express my admiration and gratitude for my colleagues Raymond Hand, Jr., and Hayden Carruth, who carefully worked around me during the many months in which the project cluttered my desk and occupied my attention completely. Finally, I wish to extend thanks to Carol Cohen, my editor at Harper & Row, who suggested the project to me and saw it through to completion. EUGENE EHRLICH Columbia University Xlll