p
4.1.4 The best cross-reference system is plain serial numbering.
This method has been adopted in the Multilingual Dictionary of
the International Federation of Surveyors Dictionnaire Multilingue
des Géomètres'DMGPrepared under the guidance of the Executive
Committee of the Technical Dictionary Commission of the FIG the
vocabulary is in three languages and contains about 5500 terms,
defined in the basic language: French, and having their equivalents
in German and English. This work is intended for all those called
upon to deal with cadastral, topographical, geodetic qnd other
similar questions. The dictionary will, in addition, render great
service to public administrations, higher colleges, scientific insti
tutions, libraries and other similar organisations, engineers, photo-
grammetrists, technicians, and the legal profession, as well as to
all people who are interested in the profession of Surveying.
4.1.5 The definitions in the work are intended to make it easier
to understand the exact meaning of the terms, making it easier
to find an exact equivalent in each country. In addition, each
definition introduces, by analogy, a large number of allied terms;
and the examples inserted in the text are intended to make the
dictionary more concrete. In 1966 an 'Index Néerlandais' was
prepared for use in conjunction with the main volume. Other
languages, in their order of urgency and importance, will be pu
blished as separate fascicules as and when they have been prepared
the preparation being at the expense of the country concerned.
The publication of these Indexes is one of the main objects of
activity of Commission 3 of FIG. Another aim is to achieve a
new (up-to-date) edition of the DMG and, if possible, parallel
editions with definitions in English and German.
4.1.6 Many of the Multilingual dictionaries which have been
produced in recent years have followed the pattern of the DMG,
for example the 'Dictionary of Architecture and Building Trades'
in four languages produced by Pergamon Press. The first part of the
dictionary contains the English terms which are arranged in alpha
betical order and numbered consecutively; each English term is
followed by its equivalent in the other three languages. The second
part contains alphabetical indexes of the German, Polish and
Russian terms. There are nearly 8000 entries from all branches of
architecture and building, as well as scientific terms frequently
encountered in textbooks, encyclopaedias and other publications
on these subjects. Terms relating to building materials and service
fittings and installations, have also been included. English terms
are spelt according to British usage, but American spelling is also
given where the difference is important. Elsevier's 'Dictionary of
Building Construction' in four languages, compiled and arranged on
an English alphabetical base by C. J. van Mansum, Officer at the
Ministry of Housing and Building, the Hague (Holland), covers
a similar subject field. The French, Dutch, and German terms
corresponding to the English one are arranged horizontally across
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