Language

This is a list of resources related to language, including online reference tools like dictionairies and style guides.

These links were on the Arts part of my home page but I thought they were more relevant to technical communication, so I moved them here.

Dictionaries
Style Guides
Other Language References

Dictionaries

BABEL, "a glossary of computer oriented terms and acronyms"
The Biographical Dictionary, "covers more than 28,000 notable men and women"
The DICT Development Group Online Dictionary Query, search multiple dictionaries
dictionary.com, searches multiple dictionaries, also has other online resources and links
Dictionary of Slang, English sland and colloquialisms used in the United Kingdom
Dictionary of Units, "a summary of most of the units of measurement to be found in use around the world today".
DOD Dictionary of Military Terms, for those writing for the military or its contractors
Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing, main UK site
Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing, US mirror site
Jargon file, one of the oldest dictionaries of net terms and computing slang
LOGOS Dictionary, a multi-language dictionary
Merriam-Webster's Online, including the WWWebster Dictionary and Thesaurus
NetLingo, "This online dictionary contains definitions of hundreds of words that are emerging as a new vocabulary surrounding the technology and community of the Internet and the World Wide Web."
OneLook Dictionaries, search many dictionaries
The Oxford English Dictionary Online, the mother of all dictionaries finally is online, but unfortunately it's a subscription service.
Netdictionary, mostly Internet terms, in a HTML version (Java version also available)
Tech Encylopedia, published by CMP's TechWeb
Webopedia dictionary of Internet and computer terms
whatis.com, mainly compputer- and Internet-related terms
yourDictionary.com, formerly, a Web of On-line Dictionaries, a huge collection of links to online dictionaries in many languages and in many subject areas.

Style Guides

A Brief Citation Guide for Internet Sources in History and the Humanities
02/17/02 Authors Guide, prepared for authors at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, oriented toward scientific and technical publications.
Citing Electronic Resources, a guide to citing Internet resources, with links to relevant information
The Craft of Scientific Writing by Michael Alley
Dr. Grammar, "Your Rx for writing ills", produced by the University of Northern Iowa Department of English, the FAQ page is a good quick reference to common mistakes and problems
Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr., hosted along with many other useful reference books at the Bartleby.com site.
GrammarNOW!, information on grammar, composition, editing, and proofreading
The Grammar Lady, produced by Mary Newton Bruder, author of the book The Grammar Lady
Grammar, Punctuation, and Style: A Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors, by Mary K. McCaskill at NASA's Langley Research Center. HTML and PDF versions are available.
Grammar Slammer, online grammar and usage tips, also a downloadable help file
Guardian Style Guide, produced by the UK's Guardian newspaper
Guide to Grammar and Writing, produced by Professor of English Charles Darling at Capital Community College, fairly complete
EEE Computer Society Style Guide, prepapred for authors of IEEE publications. Oriented to computer-related issues, with sections on file extensions and source code and an extensive glossary.
MLA Style These guidelines on MLA documentation style are the only ones available on the Internet that are authorized by the Modern Language Association of America.
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University, about 120 handouts on various subjects that cover the gamut of writing- and language-related topics. Recommended.
Proofreader's marks, useful for marking up text
The Slot, "a spot for copy editors", includes archive of Sharp Points column
Technical Writing, by Ronald B. Standler, a short guide to some often-encountered issues
TRADOC Regulations 25-30, style guide for publications in the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)
Web Style Guide, from Edit-Work.com, for publishers of web content, has sections on creating editorial procedures for web sites.
Wired Style, an online style guide by the editors of Wired Magazine
Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students hosted by Virginia Tech

Other Language References

The Acronym Finder, a searchable database of 68,000 acronyms
The Acronym Database
The Anagram Engine
Bartlett's Book of Familiar Quotations, hosted by Bartleby.com
Clear Language and Design Online Thesaurus, excellent online tool to simplify your writing style
College Slang Research Project
Commonly Confused Words, a list prepared by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. A useful list with some terms commonly used in scientific and technical writing.
Hacker Writing Style, an article about writing conventions often used by programmers
I Love Language, formerly the Human Languages Page, a comprehensive catalog of language-related Internet resources.
Internet Anagram Server, enter a word and find all its anagrams
Roget's Thesaurus at thesaurus.com
Web Thesaurus Compendium, a listing of thesauri on the Web
Wilton's Word and Phrase Origins, look up the etymology of words, also includes a brief history of the English language

Keith Soltys -- keith@soltys-DELETETHIS.CA