Cornell University Library is proud to house a rich collection of Chinese-Western language dictionaries from the 16th century up to the present. These dictionaries provide a valuable mirror that reflects an essential element in the culture exchange between China and the West.

On May 13, Laurent Ferri, Curator of the pre-1800 Collections in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, and Liren Zheng, Curator of the Charles W. Wason Collection on East Asia, will be offering a unique opportunity to see some of the dictionaries and learn more about them and the exhibit currently on display.

The current library exhibition showcases 20 valuable items from the collection, including:

•         early 17th and 18th century Chinese grammars and lists of Chinese words printed in Europe;
•         the first Chinese-English dictionary (1815-1823) autographed by its compiler, Robert Morrison;
•         an original copy of the "Dictionnaire chinois, français et latin" (1813) commissioned by Napoleon; and
•         "Vocabulary and Handbook of the Chinese Language" (1872) by Justus Doolittle, which introduced many Western scientific and technological terms into the Chinese vocabulary.

The exhibit is jointly organized by the Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections and the Charles W. Wason Collection on East Asia.

Visit the library website for Olin and Kroch library hours and more information about the Asia Collections.