Comments on: Latin is not in the Dictionary

By: Lynne

Lynne — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:31:00 +0000

There are lots of words from the OED that aren’t allowed in Scrabble.

Official Scrabble dictionary is Chambers.

By: Brigadier

Brigadier — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:07:25 +0000

Which is the ‘official’ Scrabble dictionary?

It certainly should be allowed I think.

By: Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:37:46 +0000

Well, just checked my dictionary: COD 1991 (must get a new one).

‘Latin’ with a capital L is listed as an adjective.

So we can assume that Scrabble doesn’t allow adjectives that have a capital?

But, Brigadier, would you agree that it should be allowed? ;o)

Others they don’t allow:

AMERICAN
EDWARDIAN
BRITISH
TUDOR

This has to be a coding boob?

By: Brigadier

Brigadier — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:23:49 +0000

You want pedantry? I can do pedantry. There is no such adjective as ‘latin’, which is rather the point. There is only ‘Latin’ with an upper case ‘L’.

What is this called anyway? It’s not a proper adjective; I know that much.

To confuse matters still further, in my edition of the OED (1971), all words are written with an upper case initial letter before their definition.

And I realise it’s not exactly pedantic to point out typographic slips, but you mean ’tiles’ rather than ’tile’, Dan. (The Pedants’ Revolt? Which Tyler? Craig Brown’s Society Of/For Pedants? O hush my mouth…)

By: Lynne

Lynne — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:12:30 +0000

Maybe they just didn’t do History at school?

By: Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:16:38 +0000

Not allowed Tudor… just checked.

By: Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:01:38 +0000

From a bigger pedant. In Scrabble it would be LATIN (as all the tile are capitals).

Would they let you have TUDOR? It’s a proper noun and an adjective too.

By: A Pedant

A Pedant — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:51:59 +0000

Technically, you can’t have “Latin, the adjective”. The adjective would be “latin”.

By: Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:41:39 +0000

I buy that Lynne. The proper noun is not permitted. But like I wouldn’t want ‘French’ the noun, I would want ‘french’ the adjective.

I want Latin, the adjective!

By: Lynne

Lynne — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:24:02 +0000

Ah, but you see, even in Chambers it has a Capital Initial Letter. This makes it a Proper Noun, (name in normal speak) and so Not Allowed…

Speak to Biddy, she will explain better than me.