13 June 2007
Microsoft will be making available dictionaries in various dialects from around the world for its Office 2007 software. An Australian dialect dictionary was made available last year and in July Microsoft plans to release dictionaries for various British dialects.
“It’s the diversity of Britain’s dialects that has led us to develop the new dictionaries. So in future, your Microsoft Outlook will be able to recognise e-mails where you ask your ‘marra’ to get you a ‘buttie’ instead of inserting red lines beneath all the unfamiliar words,” said Microsoft Office 2007 product manager Darren Strange.
Entries for the dialect dictionaries were open for submission, but Microsoft closed the submissions on 31 May. Presumably they will continue to take submissions for future versions.
More information is available from the BBC and from Microsoft itself.
