Excerpt from A French-English Military Technical Dictionary With a Supplement Containing Recent, Military and Technical Terms

In spite of the events of 1870-71, perhaps because of them, the French language still holds its own as one whose military literature is of deep interest to the student of military progress. Apart from professional works of purely French origin, the stake of the French people in their army is so great that, sooner or later, every technical advance, every military achievement, whether afloat or ashore, is laid under contribution, if not to furnish its share of possible improvement to the French service, at least to satisfy the French people of the excellence of that service. And it follows that with French alone an officer can keep abreast of his profession almost as well as though he had at his command all the other foreign languages whose military literatures are important in a professional point of view.

In some respects the preparation of a French-English military technical dictionary is a task of great difficulty. This arises partly from the inability of the English language in all cases to supply the exact technical equivalent of a given French term, but more particularly from the extremely detailed nature of technical French nomenclature. Where we in English are frequently satisfied to apply the class name to each of the objects or things of one and the same class, the French will almost invariably modify this class name by some adjunct limiting or defining its application. Lexicographically, the result is to force the substitution of a description for a name. It is pertinent to remark, however, that this substitution is unavoidable in those cases, relatively numerous, in which the thing to be defined is peculiar to the French. It is hoped that these, as well as other difficulties of which it is unnecessary to speak 'here, may be borne in mind by those who may use this book, for while all care has been taken to make it as accurate as possible, still it would be vain to hope that all errors, whether of omission or of commission, have been excluded. The author takes this occasion to say that he will be greatly obliged to officers and others if they will bring to his attention any mistakes that may fall under their notice.

The author desires gratefully to thank the various friends that have helped him. Chief among these stands Col. Peter S. Michie, of the Military Academy. Maj. William A. Simpson, of the Adjutant-General's Department, Dr. Charles E. Munroe, of the Corcoran Scientific School, Capt. John It. Williams and Lieut. I. N. Lewis, of the Artillery, Capt. J. E. Kuhn, of the Engineers, Lieut. E. B. Cassatt, of the Cavalry, and Mr. Laurence V. Benét, of the Hotchkiss Ordnance Company, Limited, have laid him under obligations that are cheerfully acknowledged. Mr. Wilfred Stevens, of the Adjutant-General's Office, has given substantial aid in preparing the manuscript for the press and in reading the proof.

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