A Shan and English Dictionary [1881] - Scholarly Reference Volume

In this review of A Shan and English Dictionary [1881] the bottom line is clear: this is a scholarly reference for historians, linguists and collectors who need access to a faithful facsimile of an original 1881 volume. The scanned copy from Cornell University Library preserves the book as it survives, including marginalia and marks, which is the single biggest reason to buy for researchers who value original-state fidelity rather than a cleaned, modern reprint.

Key Features

• Original 1881 edition: Provides the historical text as it was published, useful for language historians tracing period usage and orthography.
• High-quality scan: The volume was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format, offering clear page images for close reading.
• Complete cover-to-cover capture: Every page and the cover were scanned, so users receive the full original content including front matter and indexes.
• Preserved marginalia: Marks and notations present in the original are retained, which can be valuable evidence for provenance or historical readership studies.
• Library source: Digitized from the Cornell University Library print collections, ensuring a reliable archival source for citation and reference.

Who It's For

This edition is best for academic researchers, graduate students and librarians who need access to primary-source dictionary material and prefer a scanned facsimile to a modern editorial reissue. It suits anyone studying Shan language history, colonial language documentation, or the history of lexicography.

It is less appropriate for casual readers seeking a polished modern learner's dictionary or for users who require an electronic text with selectable, copyable text rather than image-based pages. If you need searchable OCR text, look for an edition explicitly offering full text extraction.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Faithful reproduction of the 1881 volume preserves original content and marginalia for historical study.
• High-quality APT BookScan images in JPG 2000 provide clear page-level detail for close inspection.
• Complete cover-to-cover digitization ensures indexes and front matter are available for citation.

Cons

• Image-based scans may not provide selectable or searchable text, limiting quick keyword searches.

Specifications

Our Verdict

A Shan and English Dictionary [1881] is a strong archival resource for specialists who need an authentic facsimile of the original work. Researchers will value the complete, high-quality scans and preserved marginalia, making it good value for scholarly use; those who require searchable text or a modernized edition should consider alternative formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this edition include all pages of the original?
Yes, the copy was scanned cover to cover so front matter, main text and indexes are included.

Are the scans searchable text or images?
The scans were converted to JPG 2000 images; they are image-based and may not include selectable OCR text.

Will the scanned copy show wear from the original?
Yes, marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume are preserved in the scans.