Backbone of the first English-Kannada lexicon

Mysore/Mysuru: More than 400 dictionaries, sourced from reputed universities across India and abroad, have been preserved for posterity at Prasaranga, the publishing wing of the University of Mysore (UoM). These dictionaries served as key references in the creation of the first-of-its-kind English-Kannada dictionary brought out by the University.

These rare and historical dictionaries — some dating back over a century — were deeply studied by scholars before embarking on the monumental task of compiling the English-Kannada dictionary. Their contribution helped shine a national spotlight on the University of Mysore.

Founded in 1933, Prasaranga carries a legacy of 92 years and was instrumental in realising the academic vision of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University from 1956 to 1960.

The journey of compiling an English-Kannada dictionary began in the 1940s. The first edition ran into 1,480 pages. In the years that followed, the dictionary was published in four volumes and is still regarded as a benchmark for its linguistic depth and editorial quality.

The dictionaries used for reference were procured from institutions in London, Oxford, the United States, Cambridge, Chicago, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Netherlands, as well as from leading Indian universities in Delhi, Varanasi, Chennai (then Madras), Assam, Pune, Prayagraj, Mumbai (then Bombay), Allahabad and Kolkata.

To acquire these resources, the University reached out to scholars, linguists and acclaimed writers, requesting them to contribute from their personal collections.

Prized possessions

Among the prized possessions is an original edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, a product of 55 years of scholarly labour (1878–1933), which now rests safely at Prasaranga. When the English-Kannada dictionary was published, it earned high praise from linguists across the country.

“These 400-odd invaluable dictionaries, which were gathering dust in the University’s godown, have now been carefully sifted and preserved at Prasaranga. They served as the foundational model for our English-Kannada dictionary,” Dr. Nanjaiah Honganur, Director of Prasaranga, told Star of Mysore.

The discovery was serendipitous — Prasaranga staff stumbled upon the dictionaries during a routine inspection of old stock. Some had been neglected for over two decades. Of the total, 381 were found to be in usable condition, Dr. Nanjaiah added.

These were times before digital tools. The dictionary was compiled manually, relying solely on the scholars’ intellect, hard work, and academic rigour.

Their efforts made the University of Mysore the first university in South India to publish a comprehensive English-Kannada dictionary. These dictionaries are now invaluable resources for researchers studying language, literature, history, culture and heritage.

The dedicated work of Prasaranga staff, including Superintendent Channabasappa, Vinod, Pradeep, Anusha and others, in preserving these rare dictionaries is worthy of appreciation.

Affordable and comprehensive

The four-volume English-Kannada dictionary is available for Rs. 800. Individual volumes can be purchased at Rs. 500 for the full dictionary set (likely abridged editions) and Rs. 200 for the comprehensive version.

The revision of the dictionary began in 1964 under Prof. Prabhushankar’s directorship. The process continued for 38 years, supported by renowned scholars such as Dr. Shivaram Karanth, K.S. Haridas Bhat, R.C. Hiremath, S.S. Bhusanurmath, Prof. S.V. Ranganna and N. Basavaradhya, who served on the Advisory Committee.

The four volumes were released over a span of 15 years — Volume 1 (English alphabets A–D) in 1989, Volume 2 (E–L) in 1996, Volume 3 (M–R) in 1999, and Volume 4 (S–Z) in 2004.