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(ispell.info)Multiple Dictionaries

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Using Multiple Dictionaries
---------------------------

   Your site may have multiple dictionaries installed: a default one
(usually `english.hash'), and several others for different languages
(e.g. `deutsch.hash') or variations on a language (such as British
spelling for English).

`ispell-change-dictionary'
     This is the command to change the dictionary.  It prompts for a new
     dictionary name, with completion on the elements of
     `ispell-dictionary'.

     It changes `ispell-dictionary' and kills the old ispell process, if
     one was running.  A new one will be started as soon as necessary.

     By just answering `RET' you can find out what the current
     dictionary is.

`ispell-dictionary'
     If non-nil, a dictionary to use instead of the default one.  This
     is passed to the ispell process using the `-d' switch and is used
     as key in `ispell-dictionary-alist'.

     You should set this variable before your first call to ispell
     (e.g. in your `.emacs'), or use the `M-x ispell-change-dictionary'
     command to change it, as changing this variable only takes effect
     in a newly started ispell process.

`ispell-dictionary-alist'
     An alist of dictionaries and their associated parameters.

     Each element of this list is also a list:

          (DICTIONARY-NAME
              CASECHARS NOT-CASECHARS OTHERCHARS MANY-OTHERCHARS-P
              ISPELL-ARGS)

     DICTIONARY-NAME is a possible value of variable
     `ispell-dictionary', `nil' means the default dictionary.

     CASECHARS is a regular expression of valid characters that
     comprise a word.

     NOT-CASECHARS is the opposite regexp of CASECHARS.

     OTHERCHARS is a regular expression of other characters that are
     valid in word constructs.  Otherchars cannot be adjacent to each
     other in a word, nor can they begin or end a word.  This implies
     we can't check `Stevens'' as a correct possessive and other correct
     formations.

     Hint: regexp syntax requires the hyphen to be declared first here.

     MANY-OTHERCHARS-P is non-nil if many otherchars are to be allowed
     in a word instead of only one.

     ISPELL-ARGS is a list of additional arguments passed to the ispell
     subprocess.

     Note that the CASECHARS and OTHERCHARS slots of the alist should
     contain the same character set as casechars and otherchars in the
     LANGUAGE`.aff' file (e.g., `english.aff').