FOREWORD

There are at present several thousands soil names in world ре-
dology which are in use of various scientific schools. The simple
translations of these namea from one language to another do not
usually give a correct understanding of a soil to which this ог
that name corresponds. Even such classical names ав "podzol® or
"chernosem® have different interpretations and meanings in diffe-
rent pedological schools of the world. More over, till preseant
there are no standard translations of soil names from one language
to another.

The exiating position in soil nomeaclature, when different
suthors understand different soils under oune and the seme name, and
vice versa, one and the same 80il is often described under diffe-
rent names, leads to very great difficulties in scientific collabo-
ration and mutual understanding among the pedologista of various
countries, especially at present time with the inoreasing of inter-
national cooperation 10 the world. The languasge barriers аге too
often misleading in international cooperation.

The above said is a base of urgent uecessity for oreation of
multylingual encyclopedic dictionary of soil nomenclature with the
purpose of uniform understanding and utilisation of these or those
s0il names existing in the soil science, and of uniform translati-
ons of soil names.

The present dictionary contains 2800 soil nomenclature terms,
used by the largest pedological schools of the world, namely Russi-
an, Pranco-Belgian, German, Canadian, of the USA and of the
PAO/UNESCO. Besides, there are numerous terms of other national
schools, whidely utilised 10 soil 1iterature.

The dictionary is composed by the following way.

In the alphabetical order the terms in Russian are given,
vhich are partly, the terms of Russian school and partly Russian
translations of the terms of various national schools. The transla-
tions into Eaglish, Franch and German couseqguently are givea to
each of the Bussian terms with several synonima or variants of trans-
latious if any. Then the etimology of each term for its original len-
guage form follows. In the characteristics (interpretation) of each
term its history (national school) and the short definition of the
801l concerned is given. The synonima 17 алу are given in a conclu-