[Summary]
Robert Ware launched OneLook Dictionaries in April 1996 as a "fast
finder" in hundreds of online dictionaries covering various topics:
business, computer/internet, medical, miscellaneous, religion,
science, sports, technology, general and slang. He wrote in
September 1998: "On the personal side, I was almost entirely in
contact with people who spoke one language and did not have much
incentive to expand language abilities. Being in contact with the
entire world has a way of changing that. And changing it for the
better! (...) I have been slow to start including non-English
dictionaries (partly because I am monolingual). But you will now
find a few included." OneLook Dictionaries could browse 2 million
words from 425 dictionaries in 1998, 2.5 million words from 530
dictionaries in 2000, 5 million words from 910 dictionaries in
2003, and 19 million words from 1,060 dictionaries in 2010.
***
Robert Ware launched OneLook Dictionaries in April 1996 as a "fast
finder" in hundreds of online dictionaries covering various topics:
business, computer/internet, medical, miscellaneous, religion,
science, sports, technology, general and slang.
He wrote in September 1998: "On the personal side, I was almost
entirely in contact with people who spoke one language and did not
have much incentive to expand language abilities. Being in contact
with the entire world has a way of changing that. And changing it
for the better! (...) I have been slow to start including non-
English dictionaries (partly because I am monolingual). But you
will now find a few included."
Robert Ware also wrote about a personal experience showing the
internet could promote both a common language and multilingualism:
"In 1994, I was working for a college and trying to install a
software package on a particular type of computer. I located a
person who was working on the same problem and we began exchanging
email. Suddenly, it hit me... the software was written only 30
miles away but I was getting help from a person half way around
the world. Distance and geography no longer mattered! OK, this is
great! But what is it leading to? I am only able to communicate in
English but, fortunately, the other person could use English as
well as German which was his mother tongue. The internet has
removed one barrier (distance) but with that comes the barrier of
language.
It seems that the internet is moving people in two quite different
directions at the same time. The internet (initially based on
English) is connecting people all around the world. This is
further promoting a common language for people to use for
communication. But it is also creating contact between people of
different languages and creates a greater interest in
multilingualism. A common language is great but in no way replaces
this need. So the internet promotes both a common language *and*
multilingualism. The good news is that it helps provide solutions.
The increased interest and need is creating incentives for people
around the world to create improved language courses and other
assistance, and the internet is providing fast and inexpensive
opportunities to make them available."
OneLook Dictionaries could browse 2 million words from 425
dictionaries in 1998, 2.5 million words from 530 dictionaries in
2000, 5 million words from 910 dictionaries in 2003, and 19
million words from 1,060 dictionaries in 2010.