diff --git a/dw/hyphenator.cc b/dw/hyphenator.cc
index fd1553c..bdaad71 100644
--- a/dw/hyphenator.cc
+++ b/dw/hyphenator.cc
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ using namespace lout::unicode;
 
 namespace dw {
 
-HashTable <String, Hyphenator> *Hyphenator::hyphenators =
-   new HashTable <String, Hyphenator> (true, true);
+std::map< std::string, std::unique_ptr< Hyphenator > > Hyphenator::hyphenators;
 
 Hyphenator::Hyphenator (const char *patFile, const char *excFile, int pack)
 {
@@ -111,12 +110,10 @@ Hyphenator::~Hyphenator ()
 
 Hyphenator *Hyphenator::getHyphenator (const char *lang)
 {
-   String *langString = new String (lang);
+   auto &hyphenator= hyphenators[ lang ];
 
-   Hyphenator *hyphenator = hyphenators->get (langString);
-   if (hyphenator)
-      delete langString;
-   else {
+   if( not hyphenator )
+   {
       using namespace std::literals::string_literals;
       std::string patFile= DILLO_LIBDIR + "/hyphenation/"s + lang + ".pat";
       std::string excFile= DILLO_LIBDIR + "/hyphenation"s + lang + ".exc";
@@ -124,15 +121,14 @@ Hyphenator *Hyphenator::getHyphenator (const char *lang)
       //printf ("Loading hyphenation patterns for language '%s' from '%s' and "
       //        "exceptions from '%s' ...\n", lang, patFile, excFile);
 
-      hyphenator = new Hyphenator (patFile.c_str(), excFile.c_str());
-      hyphenators->put (langString, hyphenator);
+      hyphenator= std::make_unique< Hyphenator >( patFile.c_str(), excFile.c_str() );
    }
 
    //lout::misc::StringBuffer sb;
    //hyphenators->intoStringBuffer (&sb);
    //printf ("%s\n", sb.getChars ());
 
-   return hyphenator;
+   return hyphenator.get();
 }
 
 void Hyphenator::insertPattern (TrieBuilder *trieBuilder, char *s)
diff --git a/dw/hyphenator.hh b/dw/hyphenator.hh
index ad77b4f..ebcd4dc 100644
--- a/dw/hyphenator.hh
+++ b/dw/hyphenator.hh
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@ class TrieBuilder {
 
 class Hyphenator: public lout::object::Object
 {
-   static lout::container::typed::HashTable
-      <lout::object::String, Hyphenator> *hyphenators;
+   static std::map< std::string, std::unique_ptr< Hyphenator > > hyphenators;
    Trie *trie;
 
    // Only instantiated when needed.