NAME:
DUE DATE:
HUMANITIES CORE COURSE


Discovery Task 1:
• Find background information about Sophocles.
• Use an unabridged dictionary to determine the meaning of a word.
• Use an etymological dictionary to determine the origin of a word.

Read all instructions first!
Worksheet Version
Online Quiz Version

ASSIGNMENT:
A. Use a general electronic encyclopedia to find information about Sophocles.
B. Use the online version of the Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary to find the meaning of the word from Antigone that will be the subject of your first essay.
C. Use the online version of the Oxford English Dictionary to determine the definition and linguistic origin of the word from Antigone that will be the subject of your first essay.
   
OBJECTIVES:
Learn to use a general encyclopedia to get an overview of a topic or to gather specific fact.
Learn to use an etymological dictionary to determine the meaning and historical origin of the word from Antigone that will be the subject of your first essay.
Compare the information available in an unabridged dictionary with the information available in an etymological dictionary.
   
ENCYCLOPEDIA OVERVIEW:
An encyclopedia is the first place to look when beginning to gather information about a well-established subject. Encyclopedias can:
• Provide facts to enable you to answer questions about a topic.
• Provide a good introduction and overview of a topic.
• Give additional books and articles on your topic at the end of the encyclopedia article.
• Provide subject terminology, including correct spelling, for your topic.

There are two types of encyclopedias:
• General encyclopedias provide information about a wide range of subjects.
• Subject or special encyclopedias concentrate on particular subjects.

 
   
ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY DEFINITION:
Etymological dictionaries provide the history of words by tracing their development and usage from their earliest recorded occurrence.

HINT: Read the instructions completely before you start working on the assignment!

WHAT TO DO TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT
This assignment has two parts. The first requires you to use a general encyclopedia. The second part requires you to use the electronic versions of the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary.


Part 1: General Encyclopedias

A. Use the online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica (http://search.eb.com/) to locate information on Sophocles and the play Antigone.

NOTE: You must be a currently enrolled student to use the online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica. You can access it from any of the computers on campus. If you are completing this assignment at home, there are instructions for accessing restricted resources on the UCI Libraries Homepage at How To…Connect From Home (http://www.lib.uci.edu/services/how/connect.html).

B. Write a brief evaluation (one to three paragraphs) of the usefulness of the information in the Encyclopedia Britannica to help you understand Sophocles and the his play, Antigone.

C. Submit your evaluation of the Encyclopedia Britannica to your instructor.


Part II: Dictionaries

Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary

NOTE: You must be a currently enrolled student to use the online version of the Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. You can access it from any of the computers on campus. If you are completing this assignment at home, there are instructions for accessing restricted resources on the UCI Libraries Homepage at Connecting from Home (http://www.lib.uci.edu/internet/remote.html).

A. Access the electronic version of the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary directly by entering the URL http://search.eb.com/mwu
B. To access the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary from the Libraries Homepage, follow these links.
Start at the UCI Libraries Homepage (http://www.lib.uci.edu/).
Click on Dictionaries, Style Manuals, etc.
Click on Dictionaries &Thesauri
Scroll down to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary via Encyclopedia Brittannica and click on it
Click on the link to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary.
C. Enter the word assigned to you by your section leader for your first essay in the box on the top of the screen and click on Go.
D. Read the definitions.
E. Answer the following questions about your use of the Merriam Webster's Dictionary.
F. Submit your completed assignment to your section leader.

1. How many definitions of your assigned word does the Merriam Webster's Dictionary list?

2. What synonyms for your word are listed in the definition?

3. What other kinds of information does the definition list?


Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary is a historical dictionary of English, covering the language from the earliest times to the present day. It aims to show not only the current meanings of words, but also to trace their development through time. Entries contain detailed etymological analysis, and are illustrated by quotations from a wide range of English language sources from around the world, making the OED a unique historical record.

NOTE: You must be a currently enrolled student to use the Oxford English Dictionary. You can access it from any of the computers on campus. If you are completing this assignment at home, there are instructions for accessing restricted resources on the UCI Libraries Homepage at Connecting from Home (http://www.lib.uci.edu/internet/remote.html).

WARNING: You are not required to print the definition.

A. Access the electronic version of the Oxford English Dictionary directly by entering the URL http://dictionary.oed.com/
B. To access the Oxford English Dictionary from the Libraries Homepage, follow these links.
Start at the UCI Libraries Homepage (http://www.lib.uci.edu/).
Click on Dictionaries, Style Manuals, etc.
Click on Dictionaries &Thesauri
Scroll down to the link for the Oxford English Dictionary and click on it.
C. Click on Enter OED Online on the OED homepage.
D. Enter the word assigned to you by your section leader for your first essay in the box on the top right side of the screen.
E. Click on the "Find Word" symbol to execute the search.
F. Read the definitions.
G. Answer the following questions about your use of the Oxford English Dictionary.
H. Submit your completed assignment to your section leader.


1. How many definitions of your assigned word does the Oxford English Dictionary list?


2. How does the Oxford English Dictionary entry for the word compare to an entry in a college dictionary such as Webster's or American Heritage? What are the similarities between the entries? What are the differences?


3. Give an explanation of the word "etymological" in your own words.