docs: def get_matches(pattern, language, max_count=8):
      """
      take a word pattern or a Python regexp and a language name, and return a
      list of all matching words.
      """
      if str(pattern) == pattern:
          pattern = compile_pattern(pattern)
  
      results = []
  
      if not dicts.exists(language):
          print("The language '%s' is not available locally." % language)
          return []
  
      with open(dicts.filepath(language), 'r') as f:
          for word in f:
              if max_count <= 0:
                  break
              w = word.strip()
              if pattern.match(w) and w not in results:
                  results.append(w)
                  max_count -= 1
  
      return results