[Lexicog] Re: Lexical Relations vs. Etymology

[Hayim Sheynin]

Pardon, Ken and Margaret, I based my opinion on The Oxford English-Russian Dictionary,
  where on p. 997 s. v. vital the vital statistics phrase is translated as "demograficheskaja statistika" (also with a"hint to its figurative meaning about woman's measuremen).
   
  As you could guess my native language is Russian. I am sorry.
   
  Hayim

Margaret Marks <margaret.marks at gmail.com> wrote:
          Hayim,

  On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 8:13 PM, Hayim Sheynin <hsheynin19444 at yahoo.com> wrote:
    
  Secondly, I am in doubt that it can be understood as "vital statisics office." 
  It is just office for legal registration of acts of births, marriages, producing passports
  (a kind of identity card) and registration of deaths, that before 1917 was done in 
  the local offices of police (politsejskaja chast'). ...

  
I've forgotten all the Russian I ever knew, but surely 'vital statistics' is just the American term for births, marriages and deaths?  (In British English, vital statistics are a woman's bust, waist and hip measurements).

Regards

Margaret Marks 



  

                         


Dr. Hayim Y. Sheynin
       
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