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Merriam-Webster Teams with yourDictionary.com to Help Power Premier Global Language Portal

August 4, 2000, SPRINGFIELD, Mass. and DANVILLE, Calif., /PRNewswire/ - Merriam-Webster Inc. and yourDictionary.com (YDC) today announced that they have forged a strategic alliance, where YDC will use Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary and Thesaurus as its preferred English language reference sources on its site. yourDictionary.com will employ these authoritative reference tools in both its 'Quick Lookup' function and 'YD Lookup Button,' which allow Web surfers to search for definitions at any time from anyplace by simply copying the 'YD Lookup Button' to their browser of choice.

The alliance links two of the most frequently visited reference sites on the World Wide Web. Both Merriam-Webster and yourDictionary.com have been frequently cited for 'Best of Web' awards. Most recently, Merriam-Webster's Word Central (http://www.WordCentral.com), the Web's hot new language center designed expressly for children, was honored as a recipient of the 2000 Webby Award for Best Educational Web Site of the Year.

yourDictionary.com most recently was named a "Best of the Web" for Reference choice by Forbes Magazine and cited in Paris-based Le Monde's Interactif edition as "le meilleur du net." A truly global portal, yourDictionary.com receives some 20% of its users from Europe, and similarly large portions from Latin America, the Pacific Rim, and Asia.

John Morse, President and Publisher of Merriam-Webster Inc., said, "Research shows that a majority of Web surfers worldwide now use English as their primary language due to the predominance of American companies in the technical area. Merriam-Webster's alliance with yourDictionary.com will help ensure that this worldwide audience is provided with the latest, most up-to- date, and complete English-language word lists and definitions."

"We are pleased to be working with Merriam-Webster," said Paul JJ Payack, President and C.E.O. of yourDictionary.com. "With roots stretching back to Noah Webster, Merriam-Webster has long been recognized as the dictionary of choice for the American public. Our partnership with Merriam-Webster," Payack continued, "will help ensure Web surfers worldwide access to the latest, most complete, and authoritative dictionary of the rapidly evolving English language." Experts cite the influence of the World Wide Web as a key driver of new words being coined at an ever-accelerating rate.

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Merriam-Webster, Inc. acquired the rights to revise and publish Noah Webster's dictionaries in 1843. Since then, Merriam-Webster has maintained an ongoing commitment to innovation in language reference publishing. Today, the company continues as the clear leader, with electronic reference products, learning tools, and word games.

Merriam-Webster has two award-winning Web sites that, combined, receive over 25 million hits a month. For more information about language and the Merriam-Webster company, visit Merriam-Webster OnLine (www.Merriam-Webster.com), recognized as The Language Center on the Web. Also visit Merriam-Webster's Word Central (www.WordCentral.com), a new site where kids, supported by their teachers and parents, can improve their communication skills and build their love of language. Both sites provide free access to English language dictionaries, a word of the day, word games and activities, and information about our changing language.
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yourDictionary.com
yourDictionary.com (YDC) provides the world's most comprehensive, and authoritative portal for language, and language-related products and services on the World Wide Web. yourDictionary.com has the widest and deepest set of dictionaries on the Web (more than 1800 dictionaries representing more than 230 languages.) yourDictionary.com has been recognized as the Web's preeminent language portal by dozens of organizations around the world.

The Advisory Council of Experts: The authority and academic rigor of the yourDictionary.com site is exemplified by its Advisory Council of Experts (ACE), composed of some two dozen of the world's most accomplished linguists. The distinguished members of the Council provide indispensable guidance in the development, acquisition, and maintenance of the dictionaries under their purview, and help ensure the integrity of their respective areas of linguistic specialization.

Preserving the World's Linguistic Heritage: Of the seven thousand languages and dialects spoken on the planet, more than half are endangered or headed toward extinction. To help preserve the languages and the distinct heritage each represents, yourDictionary.com has created the Endangered Language Repository (ELR) to provide a sanctuary for these languages on the World Wide Web, to better enable access by both scholars and interested laypersons.