Abstract

The anthropological dictionary is not a new idea; Winnick (1956) and Seymour Smith (1985) are notable examples. These dictionaries exclude major parts of the anthropological lexicon, like linguistics, physical anthropology, theoretical approaches and archaeology; however, this compilation of terms represents a new approach. The "four fields approach," an attempt to integrate the main interests of anthropology into a cogent whole, makes this compilation more than its predecessors. Entries were selected from standard source and instructional materials from cultural anthropology, linguistics, biological anthropology, and archaeology, as well as entries on theoretical approaches and statistical analysis. Another value of this dictionary is its timeliness—the most recent anthropological dictionaries appeared in the 1980's. Much has changed in the past decade: methods improve, new term arise, theories come in and out of vogue. Indeed, the anthropological lexicon constitutes a living language and consequently must keep pace with developments in its information, theories, and methods. For these reasons, this anthropological dictionary represents a new and timely approach.