Xinhua Zidian

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The Xīnhuá zìdiǎn (Simplified Chinese: 新华字典, literally "new China character dictionary") is the most popular modern Chinese dictionary. Supported by the Linguistics Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, it has become the standard dictionary for Simplified Chinese characters and pinyin romanization.

The first edition was published in 1953 by the People's Education Press, under the editorial supervision of Chinese linguist and lexicographer Wèi Jiàngōng (魏建功, 1901-1980). In 1957, the authoritative Commercial Press published a new Xinhua zidian edition, alphabetically arranged by pinyin. They have subsequently revised it ten times, with over 200 printing runs. Besides the original pocket-sized version in simplified characters, the Commercial Press has expanded upon their success. In 1999, they published an orthographically precise pinyin edition, the Xinhua zidian Hanyu pinyin ban, edited by Yi Ken'ichirō (伊井健一郎); and in 2000, the Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation, edited by Yáo Nǎiqiáng (姚乃强) [see the review by Clark 2001]. In early 2004, the total number of published copies exceeded 400 million, making the Xinhua zidian the world's most popular dictionary.

[edit] References

• Clark, Paul. "Han-Ying shuangjie Xinhua zidian (Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation) (review)." China Review International, 2001, 8.2, 387–388

• Han-Ying shuangjie Xinhua zidian (汉英双解新华字典), Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation. Beijing: Commercial Press. 2000. ISBN 7-80103-198-9

• Xinhua zidian (新华字典), 10th revised edition. Beijing: Commercial Press. 2004. ISBN 7-100-03931-2

• Xinhua zidian Hanyu pinyin ban (新华字典汉语拼音版, "Pinyin edition of the Xinhua zidian"). Taiyuan: Shanxi Jiaoyu Chubanshe. 1999. ISBN 7-5440-0941-6

[edit] External links

• 400 million copies of Chinese-character dictionary — People's Daily