Modern Chinese Dictionary

Author: Lexicography Editorial Office of the Institute of Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: A renowned standard-setting dictionary – The Modern Chinese Dictionary. Compiled in accordance with the (instruction) of the State Council with the aim of establishing lexical norms and promoting Mandarin Chinese and the standardization of the Chinese language. ☆ A professional and authoritative editorial body – the Institute of Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. A dedicated editorial team was established for the compilation of The Modern Chinese Dictionary, led successively by the famous linguists Lu Shuxiang and Ding Shengshu. ☆ A publishing house with a century-long history – Commercial Press. China’s earliest modern publishing institution, with a long tradition in lexicography, was designated to publish The Modern Chinese Dictionary. ☆ First Prize of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Outstanding Research Achievement Award in 1993. ☆ National Book Award in 1994. ☆ First Prize of the Second National Lexicography Award in 1997. ☆ First Prize of the Fourth Wu Yuzhang Humanities and Social Sciences Award in 2002. Since its publication, The Modern Chinese Dictionary has made significant contributions to the promotion of Mandarin Chinese and the standardization of the Chinese language, playing a vital role in China’s cultural, educational, and scientific research endeavors. It has been widely welcomed by readers and highly valued by society, receiving prestigious awards such as the National Book Award, National Lexicography Award, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Outstanding Research Achievement Award, and Wu Yuzhang Humanities and Social Sciences Award. It enjoys a renowned reputation both domestically and internationally. With the development of the times, language also evolves. To adapt the dictionary to the needs of society, it must be continuously revised to keep pace with progress and better serve readers and society. Since its official publication in 1978, The Modern Chinese Dictionary has undergone two revised editions in 1983 and 1996, as well as an expanded edition in 2002. This revision focuses on two aspects: first, adjusting the word selection by adding new words and meanings while removing outdated or rarely used ones; second, labeling parts of speech for all entries based on the distinction between words and non-words. This revision has removed over 2,000 entries while adding over 6,000 new ones, bringing the total number of entries to approximately 65,000. It reflects the current state of modern Chinese vocabulary and meets the needs of readers for reference. Labeling parts of speech in the dictionary has long been a pressing desire among readers and a new requirement for Chinese lexicography in the information age. The Modern Chinese Dictionary previously only marked parts of speech for some function words and common pronouns, quantifiers, etc. This revision, however, provides comprehensive part-of-speech labeling for all entries in modern Chinese, including classical function words that were previously labeled. Distinguishing words from non-words and classifying parts of speech in modern Chinese is a complex task, often difficult to apply uniformly. In addressing this issue, we have not only incorporated recent achievements in Chinese grammar research but also considered years of experience in grammar teaching to ensure scientific and prudent treatment, hoping to assist readers in their study and research. This dictionary was compiled in accordance with the (instruction) of the State Council on the promotion of Mandarin Chinese with the aim of establishing lexical norms for modern Chinese. Therefore, fully and correctly implementing national language and character norms and technical term standards is a fundamental principle of this book. This revision has made significant efforts to further implement language and character norm standards. The State Language Commission’s key project, the Standardized Chinese Characters Table, is currently under development, and existing norms related to character forms and pronunciations are also being revised. To align with the upcoming new standards, we have maintained close communication with relevant authorities throughout the revision process. Before the new norms are announced, we have strived to fully implement the existing standards while appropriately addressing recognized issues and ensuring maximum alignment with the forthcoming new standards. Some character forms and pronunciations have temporarily retained their original treatment until the new standards are released. This revision has also comprehensively reviewed the original definitions and example sentences, enhancing their accuracy and relevance to contemporary usage. Adjustments have been made to the format, with specific details provided in the preface.