Devices for Information Presentation in Electronic Dictionaries

D.J. Prinsloo; Ulrich Heid; Theo Bothma; Gertrud Faaß

doi:10.5788/22-1-1009

D.J. Prinsloo Department of African Languages, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Ulrich Heid Department of Information Science and Natural Language Processing, Hildesheim University, Hildesheim, Germany and Department of African Languages, University of Pretoria
Theo Bothma Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria
Gertrud Faaß Department of Information Science and Natural Language Processing, Hildesheim University, Hildesheim, Germany and Department of African Languages, University

Keywords: electronic dictionaries, user guidance, text production, text reception, dictionary design, decision tree structure, copulatives, kinship terminology, information presentation devices

Abstract

Electronic dictionaries should support dictionary users by giving them guidance in text production and text reception, alongside a user-definable offer of lexicographic data for cognitive purposes. In this article, we sketch the principles of an interactive and dynamic electronic dictionary aimed at text production and text reception guiding users in innovative ways, especially with respect to difficult, complicated or confusing issues. The lexicographer has to do a very careful analysis of the nature of the possible problems to suggest an optimal solution for a specific problem. We are of the opinion that there are numerous complex situations where users need more detailed support than currently available in e-dictionaries, enabling them to make valid and correct choices. For highly complex situations, we suggest guidance through a decision tree-like device. We assume that the solutions proposed here are not specific to one language only but can, after careful analysis, be applied to e-dictionaries in different languages across the world.