Inclusion Strategies for Multi-word Units in Monolingual Dictionaries

  • Phillip Louw Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Republic of South Africa
Keywords: COLLOCATIONS, COMPOUND NOUNS, GROUP PREPOSITIONS, IDIOMS, INCLUSION STRATEGIES, LEMMA, LOAN GROUPS, MACROSTRUCTURE, MICROSTRUCTURE, MULTI-WORD COMPOUND LEXICAL ITEMS, MULTI-WORD UNITS, SUBLEMMA, TRANSPARENCY

Abstract

Abstract: This article focuses on inclusion strategies for different types of multi-word units, beit as part of the macrostructure or embedded as treatment units in the microstructure of a specificdictionary. The types of multi-word units discussed range from multi-word lexical items to collocationsand multi-word compound lexical items. The general principles set out in this article areapplied specifically to monolingual school dictionaries that target learners of English in the juniorsecondary phase.In order to discuss inclusion strategies adequately it is, however, necessary to make a cursorydistinction between idioms and collocations, on the one hand, and between collocations and multiwordcompound lexical items, on the other. It is shown that current monolingual dictionaries oftenfail to distinguish between these types and therefore apply potentially confusing inclusion strategies.In the discussion of inclusion strategies for multi-word lexical items that follows, it is shownthat, whereas loan groups and group prepositions require lemmatisation as full multilexical lemmas,the strategy for idioms is not as simple. The problems with a full lemmatisation of idioms arepointed out and an alternative system, whereby idioms are consistently included as sublemmaswith full microstructural treatment, is proposed.Next it is shown that collocations do not have lexical item status and can therefore not betreated in the same way as multi-word lexical items. However, provision must be made that somecollocations may need additional microstructural treatment addressed to them.Lastly, inclusion strategies for multi-word compound lexical items, which frequently occur inEnglish, are discussed. The practice of sublemmatising so-called "transparent" compound lexicalitems and giving them no or little microstructural treatment, is shown to be inappropriate forschool dictionaries.Hopefully the guidelines provided in this article can be of some help in clearing up the muddledapproaches currently followed in some South African monolingual school dictionaries.Keywords: COLLOCATIONS, COMPOUND NOUNS, GROUP PREPOSITIONS, IDIOMS,INCLUSION STRATEGIES, LEMMA, LOAN GROUPS, MACROSTRUCTURE, MICROSTRUCTURE,MULTI-WORD COMPOUND LEXICAL ITEMS, MULTI-WORD UNITS, SUBLEMMA,TRANSPARENCYOpsomming: Opnamestrategieë vir veelwoordige eenhede in eentaligewoordeboeke. Hierdie artikel fokus op opnamestrategieë vir verskillende veelwoordige eenhede, hetsy as deel van die makrostruktuur of ingebed as behandelingseenhede in die mikrostruktuurvan 'n bepaalde woordeboek. Die tipes veelwoordige eenhede wat bespreek word, wissel vanveelwoordige leksikale items tot kollokasies en veelwoordige samestellings. Die algemene beginselswat in hierdie artikel uiteengesit word, word spesifiek op eentalige skoolwoordeboeke watleerders van Engels in die junior sekondêre fase teiken, toegepas.Om opnamestrategieë toereikend te bespreek, is dit egter nodig om eers 'n onderskeid te treftussen idiome en kollokasies aan die een kant, en tussen kollokasies en veelwoordige samestellingsaan die ander. Daar word aangetoon dat die huidige eentalige woordeboeke dikwels nalaat omtussen hierdie tipes te onderskei en derhalwe potensieel verwarrende opnamestrategieë toepas.In die bespreking van opnamestrategieë wat daarop volg, word aangetoon dat, terwyl leenwoordgroepeen groepvoorsetsels lemmatisering as volle multileksikale lemmas benodig, diestrategie vir idiome nie so eenvoudig is nie. Die probleme met 'n volle lemmatisering van idiomeword uitgewys en 'n alternatiewe stelsel waardeur idiome konsekwent as sublemmas met vollemikrostrukturele behandeling opgeneem word, word voorgestel.Vervolgens word aangetoon dat kollokasies nie leksikale-itemstatus het nie en dus nie op 'nsoortgelyke wyse as meerwoordige leksikale items behandel kan word nie. Daar moet egter daarvoorvoorsiening gemaak word dat sommige kollokasies wel addisionele mikrostrukturele behandelingmag benodig.Laastens word opnamestrategieë vir meerwoordige samestellings, wat dikwels in Engelsvoorkom, bespreek. Die gewoonte om sogenaamde "deursigtige" samestellings te sublemmatiseeren dan van min of geen mikrostrukturele behandeling te voorsien nie, word as onvanpas vir skoolwoordeboekegetoon.Hopelik kan die riglyne wat in hierdie artikel verskaf word, van hulp wees om die verwardebenaderings wat tans in sommige Suid-Afrikaanse eentalige woordeboeke gevolg word, op teklaar.Sleutelwoorde: DEURSIGTIGHEID, GROEPVOORSETSELS, IDIOME, KOLLOKASIES,LEENWOORDGROEPE, LEMMA, MAKROSTRUKTUUR, MEERWOORDIGE EENHEDE, MEERWOORDIGESAMESTELLINGS, MIKROSTRUKTUUR, NAAMWOORDSAMESTELLINGS, OPNAMESTRATEGIEË,SUBLEMMA
How to Cite
Louw, P. (1). Inclusion Strategies for Multi-word Units in Monolingual Dictionaries. Lexikos, 16. https://doi.org/10.5788/16-0-650
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Artikels/Articles