明鏡国語辞典
First edition : 2002
Last edition : 2020 (third edition)
Publisher : 大修館書店
Number of words :
Number of pages : 1910 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-4469021226
The 明鏡国語辞典 is another small dictionary, but it is the one I would most recommend to people first getting their feet into monolingual dictionaries as there are a few things that in my eyes elevate it as a starter dictionary. Its greatest strength lies in it’s relatively simple and to the point explanations. Though I have read / heard people claim that many of their definitions are based on other dictionaries and changed just enough as to not be copyright infringement. This could very well be the case, I don’t really know either way, but the case remains that their definitions are often some of the simplest around to grasp (this is not to say that all their definitions are always the simplest ones among all dictionaries. Looking at multiple dictionaries can still pay of handsomely!). An example of definitions being based can be seen for example in the first definition of the entry under 肉. This is Meikyo’s definition (3rd edition) :
❶動物のからだで、皮膚の下にあり骨をつつむやわらかな物質。
This is Sanseido’s (8th edition) definition (and my personal favourite from all dictionaries I have) :
①動物の からだの、皮の下にある、やわらかな部分。
And this is Shinmeikai’s definition :
㊀動物の皮膚の下にあって骨を包む、柔らかな物質。
As you can see, smash those two definitions right together and you pretty much end up with Meikyo’s, but while this may cause disinterest in the dictionary for some people I think it’s honestly one of it’s strongest aspects. Someone has gone through multiple dictionary entries and “distilled” it down, removing the need on your part to do this.
Entries aside, what is the other reason I would recommend this one? Though it is only to do with the digital one over the paper version, the option for full furigana! This is a real boon for people being discouraged from making the switch themselves, so a great extra to “take the plunge”.
Normal Ruby :
Full Ruby :
How to activate “full ruby” mode? Just click on the three lines for the options and select “Show Full Ruby”
The Meikyo is also quite heavy on the “caution” section regarding wrongful use of words. However, it is noted in several blog posts I’ve read that they are overly cautious and will note a certain use of some words as wrong even though it is an accepted use in certain cases. So if you encounter a caution of this sort it is best to keep in mind that you should also look at other sources to confirm this.
The appendix and dignity column also deserve a brief mention. The appendix has some fun stuff, such as “seasonal words” which are great fun to just read through and look up (and invaluable if you are interested in Haiku I’ve heard). And the dignity column which acts like a sort of thesaurus that offers a plethora of more formal words and terms.
Seasonal words :
Dignity column of 行く :
