Talk:Macquarie Dictionary

Based on American dictionary
It doesn't seem to be widely known that the Macquaries dictionary was not started from scratch but was based on an American dictionary which is not so well known. The Encyclopedic World Dictionary, itself based on the American College Dictionary (1947–1967).

There is surely lots of information useful to the article here: http://www.sun.ac.za/wat/translex/MACQUA3.html

Some people are highly critical of the MQD. Check out some of the comments on this Languagehat thread: http://www.languagehat.com/archives/001730.php

&mdash; Hippietrail 03:13, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Hardly. Just one music snob takes the Macquarie to task for its pronunciation, and that is for the Italian musical term 'acciaccatura'! As for the origin of the Macquarie, you don't have to go off to some South African website, the Prefaces to the first edition (1981) acknowledge the debt to the Encyclopedic World Dictionary and the American College Dictionary. The point about the modern Macquarie is that it is now based on a huge corpus of Australian usage, not some pedants' views on what is right and correct. Strayan (talk) 05:14, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

-ise / -ize
It also gives -ise spellings first and lists -ize spellings as acceptable variants, unlike the OED and many other dictionaries of British English

Oddly, I recall looking at a usage guide also made by Macquarie which recommended the reverse. I don't currently have access to my dictionary to double check the article. &mdash; Hippietrail 15:25, 21 October 2005 (UTC)


 * There was a period in the late 80's when Macquarie was officially promoting color and organize ahead of colour and organise. My copy (also at home) is from this period. Slac speak up! 03:00, 14 August 2006 (UTC)


 * You may have had one of the international spin-off editions, the publishers have had some success tapping in to the Asian market where US spellings are widely used alongside Aus/GB spellings. Your assertion that Macquarie 'officially promoted' -or and -ize spellings in the 1980s is not borne out by my copy of the 1987 Second Revision, 1988 impression (of the full dictionary) which lists -or and -ize spellings as 'U.S.' or in some cases as alternative spellings, but puts the full definition and entry under the -our and -ise spellings. Strayan (talk) 05:14, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) - the article now has many citations for facts stated. This article relies too much on references to primary sources. (April 2012) - the article has references to a variety of sources rather than a primary page. Auslaser (talk) 23:58, 18 January 2016 (UTC)

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 * Eighth edition cover.jpg