A Dictionary of the Artificial Language Oz

Oz is an artificial auxiliary language created by Charles Milton Elam. In spite of its name, it was a serious project. It belongs to the a priori group of artificial languages, i.e. it did not take anything from natural languages, as Esperanto did. The only known work on the language is a book by Elam entitled The Case for an A Priori Language, published in 1932, and it is one of the more obscure artificial languages. This book did not include a dictionary or glossary, and so the present dictionary has been created. It includes almost all of the Oz words and morphemes occurring in Elam’s book; in some cases it has been difficult to be sure of the meaning of a item, or whether it is a root or a stem; such facts have been noted. Oz has elaborate systems of terms for colors, chemical elements, and family terms, in spite of the fact that most such terms will rarely be used. There is also a complex system of tenses. This dictionary will give a picture of a highly unusual artificial language.Oz is an artificial auxiliary language created by Charles Milton Elam. In spite of its name, it was a serious project. It belongs to the a priori group of artificial languages, i.e. it did not take anything from natural languages, as Esperanto did. The only known work on the language is a book by Elam entitled The Case for an A Priori Language, published in 1932, and it is one of the more obscure artificial languages. This book did not include a dictionary or glossary, and so the present dictionary has been created. It includes almost all of the Oz words and morphemes occurring in Elam’s book; in some cases it has been difficult to be sure of the meaning of a item, or whether it is a root or a stem; such facts have been noted. Oz has elaborate systems of terms for colors, chemical elements, and family terms, in spite of the fact that most such terms will rarely be used. There is also a complex system of tenses. This dictionary will give a picture of a highly unusual artificial language.