Lexikos

Der Effizienz- und Intelligenzbegriff in der Lexikographie und künstlichen Intelligenz: kann ChatGPT die lexikographische Textsorte nachbilden?

Iván Arias-Arias — 2024-04-12

Efficiency and Intelligence in Lexicography and Artificial Intelligence: Can ChatGPT Recreate the Lexicographical Text Type?

By means of pilot experiments for the language pair German–Galician, this paper examines the concept of efficiency and intelligence in lexicography and artificial intelligence (AI). The aim of the experiments is to gain empirically and statistically based insights into the lexicographical text type ”dictionary article” in the responses of ChatGPT-3.5, as well as into the lexicographical data on which this chatbot was trained. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used for this purpose. The analysis is based on the evaluation of the outputs of several sessions with the same prompt in ChatGPT-3.5. On the one hand, the algorithmic performance of intelligent systems is evaluated in comparison with data from lexicographical works; on the other hand, the ChatGPT data supplied is analysed using specific text passages of the aforementioned lexicographical text type. The results of this study not only help to evaluate the efficiency of this chatbot regarding the creation of dictionary articles, but also to delve deeper into the concept of intelligence, the thought processes and the actions to be carried out in both disciplines.

Keywords: lexicography, AI, ChatGTP-3.5, dictionary article, concept of efficiency, concept of intelligence, lexicographical text type, training data, lexicographical data

Exploring Dictionary Preferences: A Comparative Study of EFL and GFL Learners in Hungarian Higher Education

Balázs Fajt — 2024-10-22

This paper examines the usage patterns of monolingual and bilingual dictionaries among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and German as a Foreign Language (GFL) learners within the Hungarian higher education context. Despite the prevalent communicative approach in language teaching that often discourages dictionary use in favour of context-based learning, dictionaries are still important resources in acquiring and understanding linguistic nuances and terminology, especially in academic and business settings. Utilizing the quantitative research paradigm, this study gathered data from 371 university students, focusing on their preferences for specific dictionaries and exploring the relationship between their willingness to use these dictionaries and actual usage behaviours. The findings reveal that while EFL learners prefer renowned English monolingual dictionaries, such as Oxford and Cambridge, their willingness to use dictionaries does not necessarily correlate strongly with the frequency of use, suggesting other motivational or contextual influences at play. On the other hand, GFL learners displayed a lower overall engagement with both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, underscoring potential differences in educational strategies or lower reliance on dictionaries.

Keywords: EFL and GFL learners, dictionary preferences, dictionary use habits, higher education, language pedagogy

This, Thing, Fervor, Fulfilment: The Treatment of Pronunciation and Spelling in Dictionaries of the Slovenian Immigration

Donna M.T.Cr. Farina — 2024-05-10

In the second half of the 19th century, dictionaries increased in importance among Americans. They began to be perceived as authorities by the U.S. population; users expected them to provide answers to their questions about language. At the turn of the 19th century into the 20th, on both sides of the Atlantic, the first independent Slovenian publications appeared, intended for Slovenian immigrants to the U.S. The goal of the present article is to examine the treatment of pronunciation and spelling, both in the front matter and in the body of dictionaries of the Slovenian immigration. We examine four dictionaries created by three authors (Kubelka 1904, Kubelka 1912b, Košutnik 1912, Kern 1919). They were published at a time when there were no readily available resources on English pronunciation or spelling written in Slovenian. This article documents the dictionary authors' explanations of pronunciation and how these explanations were presented to the intended audience. It also documents the treatment of spelling of words with predominantly American and predominantly British variants, at a time when both variants were widely circulating within American society.

Keywords: Slovenian immigration to U.S., bilingual dictionaries, English–Slovenian dictionaries, Slovenian–English dictionaries, pronunciation, IPA, respelling, spelling, British English, American English

Making Lexicography Sustainable: Using ChatGPT and Reusing Data for Lexicographic Purposes

Pedro A. Fuertes-Olivera — 2024-04-23

In 2014, the International Centre for Lexicography, a research group at Valladolid signed a contract with Ordbogen A/S (a Danish language technology company) and the University of Valladolid for developing a lexicographic project, the so-called Diccionarios Valladolid-UVa (Fuertes-Olivera 2019, 2022a, 2022b; Fuertes-Olivera et al. 2018; Tarp and Fuertes-Olivera 2016). Each partner gave around €180,000 (the International Centre for Lexicography's contribution came from several research projects funded by the Spanish Research Agency), to be employed in the design and construction of Spanish dictionaries (in particular, a general dictionary of Spanish, a Spanish dictionary of accounting, a bilingual Spanish–English/English–Spanish dictionary and a bilingual Spanish–English/English–Spanish accounting dictionary). The above project has produced several results, with the recent publication of the Diccionario Digital del Español (DIDES) its most relevant result (https://diesgital.com). Within the framework of these projects, this paper offers a general introduction of the project (Section 1), refers to the concept of sustainable lexicography (Section 2), indicates that sustainability lexicography implies a better understanding of lexicographic data (Section 3), and increasing lexicographic productivity, e.g., by crafting definitions for AI translations (Section 4) and using generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT in the day-to-day lexicographic work.

Keywords: ChatGPT, DeepL Translate, DICCIONARIOS VALLADOLID-UVA, lexicographic productivity, sustainable lexicography, public funding, generative AI

Learnability and Algorithmic Complexity in German Monolingual Learner Lexicography. A Case Study

Alberto Galván-Santana — 2024-05-21

This paper analyzes the algorithmic complexity (also known as Kolmogorov complexity or descriptive complexity) of the lemma corpus included in the Wortfamilienwörterbuch der deutschen Gegenwartssprache (WfWG) as a function of its macrostructural arrangement. The results show that, compared to the alphabetical order, the WfWG word-family arrangement produces an algorithmically more compressible, and therefore less complex version of the lemma corpus. This observation points to a higher degree of learnability and cognitive accessibility of the lemma corpus arranged in word families.

Keywords: monolingual learner's dictionary, macrostructure, navigation, learnability, algorithmic complexity, compression

How Can We Raise Strategic Dictionary Use in the Classroom: The Effect of a Dictionary Awareness Program on Dictionary Use Strategies

Zoe Gavriilidou — 2024-04-17

This study investigates the impact of an explicit and integrated dictionary awareness program on primary school pupils' dictionary use strategies. The survey involved a total of 150 participants, aged 10–12 years old, from mainstream and intercultural schools. Data was collected before and after the implementation of the program using the Strategy Inventory for Dictionary Use (SIDU), a reliable and validated self-report tool that accurately profiles paper dictionary users' reported use in real-life contexts (Gavriilidou 2013). The dictionary awareness program consisted of targeted activities and was implemented to a group of 75 students, including 50 from mainstream schools and 25 from an intercultural school. The findings suggest that there is a lack of dictionary culture among students attending Greek schools, as evidenced by the moderate strategic use of dictionaries and the incomplete integration of dictionaries as reference tools in the educational process. Additionally, the comparison of the percentage of each strategy category before and after the implementation of the program showed a significant effect of the program on all categories of Dictionary Use Strategies (DUS) employed by the experimental group. This study contributes to the discussion of the "teachability" of dictionary use strategies by highlighting the effectiveness of dictionary awareness programs in promoting a dictionary culture.

Keywords: dictionary use strategies, dictionary awareness program, explicit and integrated strategy instruction, dictionary culture, CALLA, strategy based instruction, look up strategies, lemmatisation strategies

Aspekte van inligtingsonttrekkingstrukture in aanlyn woordeboeke

Rufus H. Gouws — 2024-10-02

Aspects of information retrieval structures in online dictionaries.

In printed dictionaries with a static article and book structure the relation between inserting data and retrieving information is not complex, and most dictionaries follow more or less the same ordering systems. Online dictionaries display dynamic structures with data often presented in various levels and compartments that compel the user to drill down (or vertically) into articles or laterally (or horizontally) within specific comments of articles, and to embark on search procedures that must negotiate new structures such as extended comments and even new search positions such as search tunnels. It is of paramount importance that users should be aware of the full spectrum of data included in a lexicographic product and should be able to select the data types of interest to them. Users of lexicographic tools need assistance to ensure an optimal retrieval of information from the data. Consequently, lexicographers need to embark on dedicated ways to establish an information retrieval structure that can enable users to achieve an adequate dictionary consultation. This might demand a refinement of the database of the dictionary as well as a sophisticated interface that can provide new features and navigation options to the user. It emphasizes yet again the need for a multidisciplinary team in the development of a dictionary to provide the user with an appropriate final product. This paper offers proposals for structured and rapid access to data and the use of data indicators to guide users to items occurring in complex dictionary articles. The emphasis is also on user-friendliness of lexicographic instruments that can enhance the quality of intuitive dictionary use.

Keywords: article structure, compartments, comprehensive article, contextualisation, information retrieval structure, levels, linking, online dictionaries, restricted article, search tunnel, search zone, subcomment on semantics

The Inclusion of Neologisms in the Revision of the Grand Dictionnaire Chinois–Français Contemporain

Fang Huang — 2024-11-07

Language change presents continuous challenges for lexicographers, especially with the rapid emergence of neologisms. The Grand Dictionnaire Chinois–Français Contemporain (GDCFC) was published in 2014 and its revision began immediately in order to keep the dictionary up to date. A central focus of the revision has been the inclusion of new words and new senses. This article describes the experiences of the dictionary revision team on the inclusion of neologisms using a wide spectrum of sources, ranging from the latest monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, monolingual and bilingual corpora, to online resources. It addresses four major challenges encountered by the team in the ongoing revision process, that is, the inclusion of neologisms absent from Chinese authoritative dictionaries into the GDCFC, the selection of variant neologisms and their French equivalents, the dilemma of whether to include neologisms as entries or merely as examples, and the challenge of ensuring complete relevance between neologisms and the existing entries. In light of these challenges, the article puts forward four criteria, namely, descriptivism complemented with prescriptivism, frequency, supplementation, and relevance. With the recommendations offered herein we hope to provide valuable insights into future lexicographic work on neologisms in bilingual dictionaries.

Keywords: Grand Dictionnaire Chinois–Français Contemporain, neologisms, parallel corpora, sources, challenges, criteria

Training an AI-based Writing Assistant for Spanish Learners: The Usefulness of Chatbots and the Indispensability of Human-assisted Intelligence

Ángel Huete-García — 2024-03-19

This article deals with the relationship between human and artificial intelligence in the context of an ongoing Spanish Writing Assistant project, where ChatGPT is used to assist in four key tasks related to either training the underlying language model or preparing future user communication. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between lexicographers with experience in language teaching and IT experts from a high-tech company. The article first describes the methodology of the overall project and the specific role of the lexicographers. It then discusses the three tasks in which the latter are directly involved: the construction of a set of two parallel Spanish corpora, one correct and the other with induced errors, the generation of validation material, and the writing of extended grammatical explanations for Spanish learners. Based on a large amount of empirical data, including 35,000 carefully reviewed sentences, the article details the different steps of the interaction between human and chatbot, as well as the experiences and reflections drawn from this process. It concludes that the two parts engage in very different types of relationships depending on the concrete task, and that human knowledge, culture, skills and language intuition are crucial for the chatbot to work properly.

Keywords: Spanish writing assistants, language learning, chatbots, human-assisted intelligence, training of language model, corpus building

Dictionary Use Training in Secondary School EFL Textbooks in Taiwan

Wai-on Law — 2024-04-15

As a rare study on English language textbook design for dictionary use training, this research examines four series of secondary school textbooks available on the Taiwan market. The content analysis method was adopted in finding out (1) how effectively the existing secondary English textbooks can help learners develop the necessary dictionary skills based on the guidelines from the government; and (2) how the existing textbooks could be improved to better meet learners' needs for dictionary skills training. The results show that none of the surveyed series follow the Curriculum Guidelines of the Ministry of Education (2018) regarding dictionary use training, although they all claim to have designed the book based on the government-set curriculum. Suggestions are made regarding how the present textbook designs could incorporate dictionary skills, with recommended resources. The study reveals the conspicuous neglect of dictionary use skills training in secondary school textbooks, and calls for similar review to be made in other countries to fully appreciate the (un)availability of dictionary use training in secondary schools. The study should provide useful information to relevant government authorities, dictionary compilers, textbook writers, and English language teachers and researchers alike for improving the situation.

Keywords: dictionary use training, Taiwan, secondary school EFL textbook, content analysis

Adaptation and Validation of the Strategy Inventory for Electronic Dictionary Use (S.I.E.D.U.) for Chinese Learners

Lingling Li — 2024-07-09

This study aimed to adapt and validate the S.I.E.D.U. questionnaire for assessing electronic dictionary (ED) use in the Chinese context. Six specialists translated the questionnaire into Chinese and then back-translated it into English to ensure accuracy. The Chinese version was administered to 518 participants. Factor analysis revealed seven factors, differing from the original four-factor structure. In addition to factors related to ED conventions, functions, and strategic skills, the study identified additional factors, including learners' preparation and troubleshooting, acceptance and usage context, storage format and advantages of ED, and ED subscription. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of ED use strategies from the perspective of Chinese learners, benefiting both learners and educators. This study not only validates the S.I.E.D.U. in the Chinese context but also underscores the importance of enhancing learners' strategies for effectively utilizing electronic dictionaries.

Keywords: electronic dictionary, electronic dictionary use questionnaire, electronic dictionary use strategies, language learners, Chinese context, cultural adaptation

Using Generative AI to Provide High-Quality Lexicographic Assistance to Chinese Learners of English

Qian Li — 2024-10-11

This paper reports on a research project that aims to explore how and to what extent generative AI can be used to produce different types of explanations that can be activated in writing assistants for Chinese learners of English. It first places the project in a lexicographic context and describes the general methodology used, including the limited usefulness of a learner corpus as an empirical basis and the need to use ChatGPT as a supplement to determine the error sub-categories to be explained. As a result, 26 error sub-categories are identified within the main category of subject–verb disagreement. The paper then compares two generative AI chatbots, Baidu's Ernie Bot and OpenAI's ChatGPT, and describes how the latter was found to be more efficient and therefore prompted by lexicographers with experience in second-language teaching to write long explanations for each of the error sub-categories, with several examples demonstrating both the chatbot's remarkable performance and the constant need for human supervision and intervention. At the same time, the paper argues for the integration of generative AI directly into writing assistants to produce short default explanations for errors found in learners' texts. Finally, the paper summarises the findings, including the complex relationship between human and artificial intelligence.

Keywords: automatic error correction, chatbots, error explanations, frequency criteria, generative AI, L2 learning, language models, learner corpus, modern glosses, writing assistants

Bridging across Polysemic Senses in Bilingual Specialized Dictionaries for ESP Learners

Huaguo Lu — 2024-11-08

Research has shown that links between polysemic senses (sense links) can and should be used to facilitate the acquisition of polysemy. However, sense links have received little attention in specialized lexicography because the concern about domain specificity has considerably reduced the number of polysemic senses that can be entered in specialized dictionaries. The descriptive shift in terminology research and the implications of cognitive semantics for learner's dictionaries have paved the way for dealing with sense links further in specialized dictionaries for learners (SDLs). Using computing-related lexical items as examples, this article proposes three guidelines for treating polysemy in SDLs with the aim of entering polysemic senses that do not belong to a given subject field while maintaining the focus on the subject field. It also presents four models for describing sense links in bilingual specialized dictionaries for ESP learners (BSDLs). Depending on the magnitude of overlap between the target language (TL) equivalents of the source and target senses as well as the effects of other factors, sense links are represented by ordering senses logically, appending the source sense¹, combining logical ordering with a short explanation, or providing both the source sense and a short explanation. The guidelines and models can help address the major situations that lexicographers encounter when describing sense links in BSDLs and hopefully contribute to learners' acquisition of technical senses.

Keywords: sense links, acquisition of technical senses, bilingual specialized dictionaries for learners, domain specificity, guidelines, models, semantic distance, overlap of target language equivalents

Using Semi-automated Term Extraction for IsiNdebele Health Terminology

Nomsebenzi Malele — 2024-08-29

IsiNdebele, also known as Southern isiNdebele, has a limited availability of language resources and specialised terminology, especially when compared to other members of the Nguni language family. This study therefore explores means of addressing the shortage of specialised terminology in isiNdebele by using semi-automatic term extraction methods. The focus is on health terminology, intended for communication with laypersons rather than between experts in the health field. Semi-automatic term extraction methods are employed, combining manual identification and extraction of data from available corpora with the use of a software tool named WordSmith Tools (WST). The study illustrates the necessity of utilising all functions of the WST, as they complement each other. Terms overlooked by one function may be captured by another. For instance, while the KeyWords function identified only a limited number of terms in this research, manual identification proved more fruitful. Interestingly, the Concord function emerged as particularly effective in identifying a greater number of terms. The use of the WST in this research highlights the viability of corpus-driven studies, even for resource-scarce languages like isiNdebele. Therefore, considering the limited resources available for isiNdebele, particularly the absence of specialised dictionaries, this collection of health terms exemplifies ideal candidates for inclusion in a general dictionary.

Keywords: isiNdebele, corpus-driven term extraction, health corpora, language for specific purposes (LSP), language for general purposes (LGP), Wordsmith Tools, word list, key words, concordance, semi-automatic extraction

Grammatical Data in the Dictionary of Montenegrin National and Literary Language

Sonja Nenezić — 2024-06-13

Dictionaries are generally consulted to ascertain the meaning of a word. However, the meaning is inseparable from its grammatical features, which often determine it. Therefore, this article examines the type, scope, and method of presenting grammatical data in a comprehensive general dictionary. The aim is to analyze and ascertain the morphological and syntactic characteristics of all types of words recorded in what is currently the only such dictionary of the newly standardized Montenegrin language. Attention is also given to the applied metalanguage, representing a combination of transparent abbreviations and natural language. The initial hypothesis about the heavy reliance on the inherited Serbo-Croatian lexicographic practice is confirmed, but certain deviations from this tradition are also noted, which aligns with the dictionary's goal of presenting grammatical data more accessibly and comprehensively to its target users.

Keywords: grammatical data, grammatical marker, general descriptive dictionary, Dictionary of Montenegrin National and Literary Language, Serbo-Croatian language dictionaries

Dictionaries in Context, Context in Dictionaries: Legal Translation Tools

Sandro Nielsen — 2024-09-11

Translators work with context and legal translation dictionaries may be tools that provide such context. However, lexicographers distinguish between different types of contexts, so it is relevant to examine which types of contexts are needed to help legal translators, bearing in mind that legal translation is an interdisciplinary activity involving competences and skills relating to law, language, and translation. Furthermore, legal translation involves a decoding, a transfer, and an encoding phase, each requiring different types of contexts from legal translation dictionaries. An examination of context in legal translation dictionaries treating the languages Danish, English, French, German, and Norwegian reveals that it may be necessary to distinguish between the context of dictionaries as information tools (dictionaries in context) and the context relating to the data they contain (context in dictionaries). Placing dictionaries in context concerns their format, size, scope, content, use, and user groups, while placing context in dictionaries concerns pragmatic contexts, syntactic-semantic contexts, and context of use related to source-language as well as target-language items, including concepts, terms, collocations, phrases, translation equivalents, example sentences, dictionary-internal cross-references, and dictionary-external references.

Keywords: law, terminology, phraseology, bilingual dictionaries, translation dictionaries, contextual data, contextualization, legal lexicography

Making African Dictionaries More African

Thapelo J. Otlogetswe — 2024-09-11

This article proposes strategies for compiling African dictionaries that are Afrocentric. It argues that such dictionaries must deal appropriately with the complex morphology typical of many African languages. Addressing complex morphology will help users connect words and meanings to develop a more nuanced understanding of the language. Afrocentric dictionaries ought to provide historical and etymological information of their entries, tracing lexical origins, migrations, and influences which would enrich the understanding of language evolution and its interconnectedness. For a broader vocabulary coverage related to African culture, traditions, flora, fauna, geography, and history, the article proposes that African dictionaries need to adopt a hybrid strategy of data collection that engages linguists, scholars, native speakers and community members in the dictionary-making process. Additionally, the paper argues that the middle section of African dictionaries presents an excellent space for lexicographers to capture, demonstrate, and preserve African cultures. The section should affirm, reinforce, and celebrate African food, attire, dances, cattle colour terminology — especially for pastoral communities — and kinship terminology. By implementing approaches set out in this article, it is hoped that African dictionaries will become more representative, inclusive, and reflective of the diverse African languages, cultures, and contexts.

Keywords: Afrocentric, Setswana, African dictionaries, etymology, culture, morphology

Academic Word Families in Online English Dictionaries

Geraint Paul Rees — 2024-10-24

The concept of the word family has been widely employed in research on vocabulary in the teaching and learning of foreign and second languages. The underlying assumption being that once learners know one member of a word family, they can recognise other members. Empirical research supports this vis-à-vis receptive knowledge of inflectionally related wordforms. However, studies of academic writing indicate that using appropriate derivative forms of a known word is challenging, suggesting a need for dictionaries with morphological support for writers. Traditionally, in paper-based dictionaries, this need could not be fulfilled due, in part, to space constraints. This study aims to establish if it is met in five online English dictionary websites. It analyses the treatment of seventy-four academic wordforms which academic writers have been shown to have difficulty deriving when presented with the related base word. Results indicate good coverage of the derivative forms across the dictionary websites examined but inconsistency within and between resources in the way in which forms are treated. Differences include the status as entries or subentries and the provision of writing support features such as examples, grammar patterns, and collocation information. Finally, changes to the treatment of derivatives to better serve academic writers are suggested.

Keywords: academic writing, derivative forms, lexicography, morphology, online dictionaries, vocabulary acquisition, word families, writing support

Le Processus de Numérisation de la Lexicographie en Roumanie: Présent et Perspectives

Elena Isabelle Tamba — 2024-02-08

Digitalization Process of the Lexicography in Romania: Present and Perspectives.

In Romania, the lexicographic research is in a continuous development, in a natural process of digitalization. This step is absolutely mandatory for creating electronic instruments and resources, which are necessary for supporting the Romanian language and culture.

The Romanian academic specialists in linguistics and applied informatics, as well as in computational linguistics fields, have initiated research projects by which they valorise the non-digitized resources by acquiring them in electronic formats or by which they create dictionaries and new resources and instruments directly in electronic format.

The digitalization process put the Romanian academic lexicography at a level comparable to the international lexicography and allows the connection with lexicographic projects from abroad and the inclusion of Romania in the sphere of interest of the great international lexicographic networks.

Keywords: Romanian lexicography, e-lexicography, electronic lexicographic corpus, digitalization, digital lexicographical resources, evolution, perspectives

L'Evolution de la Terminologie de la Plasturgie entre 1963–2018: Analyse Diachronique et Synchronique

Valentina-Nicoleta Văsioiu — 2024-10-02

The Evolution of the Plastics Terminology between 1963 and 2018: A Diachronic and Synchronic Analysis.

Our article focuses on the technical language description, particularly, it concentrates on the study of plastic terminology, from a diachronic and synchronic point of view, through the intermediary of a comparative analysis starting from the plastic vocabulary used in the 1960s and 2010s. We have conducted linguistic investigations with the help of the software QI Macros, investigations which helped us obtain statistical measurements for the identified morphological structures (nominal phrases NP, verbal phrases VP and adjectival phrases AP) and a classification for the candidate terms according to productivity criteria (TC with a high productivity N_S63 < N_S18, TC characterized by its symmetry N_S63 = N_S18, as well as TC characterized by its involution N_S63 > N_S18). We have also examined the representation of transdisciplinary vocabulary¹ (Jacquey et al. 2018) within the plastic terminology, especially vocabularies specific for fields such as physics, chemistry, production management and mechanics.

Keywords: technical vocabulary, plastic terminology, terminological unit, syntagm, productivity, term candidate

The Current State of the OBI DICT Project: A Bilingual e-Dictionary of Oracle-Bone Inscriptions with AI Image Recognition

Yang Jin — 2024-06-04

This article reports on the current state of the OBI DICT project, a bilingual e-dictionary of oracle-bone inscriptions (OBI), incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) image recognition technology. It first provides a brief overview of the development of the lexicographical works on oracle bones. Subsequently, it identifies deficiencies in existing oracle-bone dictionaries and underscores the pressing demand for the compilation of a new dictionary. In the subsequent two sections, the article delineates the project's initiation and objectives and then outlines its design. The four principal phases of the project, that is, material collection, literature review, content and user interface design, and search engine and AI image recognition design, are described in detail in the third section. In the concluding section, it expounds on how the OBI DICT addresses users' search requirements and maximizes usability, thereby offering substantial support to contemporary oracle-bone research, streamlining the learning process for novices, and expanding the readership interested in oracle bones.

Keywords: oracle-bone inscriptions, oracle-bone lexicographical works, oracle-bone databases, bilingual dictionary, AI image recognition, machine learning, dictionary compilation

Defining Feminine Personal Nouns in Polish: A Practical and Postulative Overview Based on the Dictionary of Polish Female Nouns

Agnieszka Małocha — 2024-07-02

This article considers and analyses various ways of defining feminine personal nouns in Polish-language lexicography. It deals with the techniques of defining products of the feminitive word-formation category which have been recorded in historical and modern dictionaries. It aims to determine the best way to define feminine personal nouns from the perspective of what the modern user needs and how they perceive the world. Against the recognised definition practices, a proprietary method developed at the Formation of Feminine Personal Nouns Research Section at the Institute of Polish Studies of Wrocław University, Poland, has been proposed. It has become the basis for lexicographic description used in Słownik nazw żeńskich polszczyzny (Dictionary of Polish Female Nouns). This article puts forward a rationale for defining lexical items in which a reference to the generic masculine, i.e. a systemic motivation typical of presentations of Polish word formation, has been abandoned.

Keywords: feminine personal nouns, feminitive, Polish word formation, dictionary, definition

On the Inclusion of Neologisms in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (10th edition)

Anmin Wang — 2024-03-27

Adding neologisms to a dictionary in its revision helps keep it abreast of time, which applies to a learner's one like Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (10th edition) (henceforth OALD 10), its latest edition. English Learner's dictionaries like OALD 10 get revised regularly. In this article, the neologisms included in OALD 10 have been approached from different perspectives. In terms of the part of speech, 71.1% of the neologisms are nouns, which could speak for the nouny nature of English. Content words like nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs make up almost 96% of the neologisms. Judging by the word-formation, the top three ways to form the neologisms are compounding, derivation and blending in decreasing order. According to the form the compounds take, which are mostly nouns, the open, hyphenated and tight ones come in decreasing order. 623 compounds make up more than half of the neologisms, which provides strong evidence for compounding to be the most frequently used way of creating neologisms. For neologisms formed by derivation, most of them are also nouns. However, 170 out of 300 neologisms formed by derivation have already appeared as derivatives of headwords in OALD 9. For 34 blends, 75% of them are partial in nature, which means at least one word in making a blend is in its full form. When it comes to the new words with regional labels, nearly 80% are labeled as belonging to British and North American usages, a sign of the hidden Anglo-centrism. The status of some words counted as neologisms is questionable, as they have been in use for a very long time. The impact of science and technology on the inclusion of neologisms in OALD 10 is quite visible. There are still many opportunities for further exploration concerning OALD 10.

Keywords: neologism, OALD 10, part-of-speech, word-formation, regional label, Anglo-centrism, dictionary revision, sci-tech influence

A Scoping Review of Studies into Dictionary Use and Language Learning

Xiaoshuai Ge — 2024-09-25

This study presents a scoping review of empirical studies on dictionary use and language learning, with the aim to systematically examine the development and trends of the field across a specific timespan. Based on the content analysis of 104 journal articles published between 1992 and 2024, this study has several major findings. The analysis of publication trends indicates that there is a surge in research interest after 2010, largely due to the rise of digital technology and the increasing recognition of the role of dictionaries in self-directed learning. While the "Big Six" dictionaries are widely used across studies, their electronic counterparts have evolved as the dominant dictionary form, mirroring the impact of the Digital Revolution. It is revealed that there is a growing presence of mixed-method design studies, reflecting the field's increasing concern for both the learning outcome induced by dictionary use and learners' cognitive processes involved in dictionary look-up behavior. It is also found that there is an overreliance on advanced and intermediate EFL/ESL learners to generate conclusions, underscoring the need for studies involving learners of diverse target L2s and varied L2 proficiency levels. Surprisingly, despite the huge potential evinced by electronic dictionaries to support language learning in areas like grammar, pragmatics, and pronunciation, research in these domains remains limited. This scoping review underscores the need for further research, especially those conducted with longitudinal design and in naturalistic contexts, to foster a holistic understanding of how dictionaries can enhance language learning.

Keywords: dictionary, dictionary use, dictionary lookups, language learning, language acquisition, scoping review, second language, EFL/ESL learners

Hou Min. A Dictionary of Chinese Neologisms (2000–2020).

Yongwei Gao — 2024-05-24

Review of Hou Min. A Dictionary of Chinese Neologisms (2000–2020).

Heming Yong, Jing Peng and Xiangming Zhang. Chinese Lexicography in the Twentieth Century.

Yuanwen Zhang — 2024-06-06

Review of Heming Yong, Jing Peng and Xiangming Zhang. Chinese Lexicography in the Twentieth Century.