The world¡¯s biggest Chinese dictionary, Dankook University¡¯s ¡°Chinese-Korean Unabridged Dictionary¡± has been completed 30 years after compilation started. Dankook University said the manuscript is complete and only the last of 16 volumes remains to be printed. It plans a ceremony marking completion at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul.
The dictionary outstrips other key dictionaries in countries under the influence of Chinese culture including China, Japan, and Taiwan. The tome consists of 55,000 characters, 450,000 words, 16 volumes, and 21,549 pages. It overtakes the ¡°Morohashi Dictionary,¡± or ¡°Unabridged Chinese-Japanese Dictionary,¡± which has approximately 49,000 characters and 390,000 words, China¡¯s own ¡°Chinese Unabridged Dictionary,¡± (some 23,000 characters and 380,000 words), and Taiwan¡¯s ¡°Unabridged Chinese Dictionary¡± (Some 50,000 characters, 400,000 words).
A total of W31 billion (US$1=W1,189) was invested, including W28.5 billion of the university¡¯s own money and W2.52 billion of state grants, employing a daily average of 25 specialists.
A key driver behind the publication was former Dankook University president Chang Ho-sung, who said he plans to digitalize the dictionary to help not only researchers but also the public search and study Chinese characters on the Internet. He estimates the digitalization will take another 10 years.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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