BUJAS'S CROATIAN-ENGLISH, ENGLISH-CROATIAN DICTIONARIES PRESENTED

ZAGREB, Oct 3 (Hina) - The Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences and the publishing house "Globus" on September 27 in Zagreb presented the Comprehensive Croatian-English and English-Croatian Dictionaries by academician Zeljko Bujas (1928-1999). The Comprehensive English-Croatian Dictionary includes 100,000 lexical items, 177,000 meanings, and 41,000 items with American and British English pronunciation, whereas the Comprehensive Croatian-English Dictionary consists of 123,000 entries, 223,000 meanings, and 33,000 references. #L# The wife of late professor Bujas, Sunita Bujas, said lexicography was her husband's calling and following the establishment of the Croatian state he was even more determined to complete his life work. Science Minister Milena Zic Fuchs said the two dictionaries were "a major lexicographic undertaking which is the crown of the life of the great man and scientist". Zic Fuchs said both dictionaries were modern and relevant in terms of civilisation, as well as open toward all levels of language, and highly reliable. Expressing gratitude on behalf of the Croatian lexicographic profession, she said the dictionaries would meet the needs of the average reader as well as those of experts and translators. Speaking about Croatia's four centuries long tradition in compiling dictionaries, academician Josip Voncina said Bujas's dictionaries could match those of great nations. Bujas had gathered the material for his dictionaries from Shakespeare's works to newspapers and magazines, Voncina said. Academician Radoslav Katicic said Bujas's dictionaries were a major contribution to the Croatian studies as they analysed and compared the Croatian language to English. The first English-Croatian dictionary was published in 1895. It was published in volumes until 1906, when it appeared on the market as a single book. The first dictionary was compiled by one of the best experts on English in the then Croatia, Aleksandar Lochmer. (hina) rml