Dictionary

A dictionary is a reference book that lists the words or other linguistic units in a mostly alphabetical list and each entry ( lemma) assigns explanatory information or linguistic equivalents.

A dictionary in the strict sense is a ready reference of linguistic information, whereas the term in the wider sense also other lists by keywords Dictionary includes primarily with factual information and mixed forms of both types.

  • 6.1 launches
  • 6.2 Selected literature

Etymology

The term dictionary is in the German -influenced by the Dutch ( Dictionary ) loan translation of the Greek word lexicon ( biblion ): "Words Affected by the book". It is a composite term that was formed after a foreign word by all elements of the foreign word were individually translated into German. Until the 17th century, the terms and Encyclopedia Dictionary were preferred; then entered in favor of the newly introduced Dictionary translation dictionary ( also word book ) back; the term lexicon remained. Since the introduction of the word itself has the meaning of dictionary in common parlance primarily on " language dictionary ", however, narrowed the meaning of lexicon in the tendency to "material dictionary ", where lexicon is often used as a synonym for " encyclopedia". The result is that on the one hand and kick dictionary lexicon or encyclopedia other hand, often as a counter terms on.

In technical terms, especially in lexicography ( dictionary research ) is, however, still retained in the dictionary further importance as a generic term for all kinds of reference books with a breakdown by keywords. Similarly, the term lexicon is still also used in technical language contexts in a wide sense, ie including sprachlexikographischer works, and in linguistics specifically for the inventory of lexemes of a speaker or a speech community.

Dictionary - Subject dictionary - Encyclopedic Dictionary

A dictionary in the strict sense ( also language dictionary ) helps to provide linguistic knowledge. His selection of lemmas ( morphemes, lexemes, phrases, and idioms ) will cover the vocabulary of a single language or a part of the vocabulary of the language (such as a dialect, or idiolect sociolect ). The information associated with it is primarily about linguistic information related to the spelling, pronunciation and grammatical features such as speech, gender and flexion of the lemma, its origin, meaning, manner of use and translatability. They are represented in the form of explanatory statements or assignment comparable units of the same language, such as in a synonym dictionary and rhyming dictionary, or from one or more other languages ​​in a translation dictionary. Factual information to the realities designated by the words may likewise be included if required for the explanation of the word meaning or word history, but they do not form an end in itself. Proper names ( people and places ) are not normally explained in a language dictionary, apart from reference books to research names and place names research ( onomastics and toponymy ).

A new approach, not single words but only to translate sentences is ( "Sentences Book"). The search for individual words is done using an electronic search engine that presented the word in the sentence; An example of this is Tatoeba.

In a tangible dictionary (including real dictionary, Reallexikon, Realenzyklopädie ) stands in contrast, the placement of property and knowledge of the world rather than linguistic knowledge in the foreground (see Encyclopedia ). The lemma is not an element of a vocabulary object of linguistic information, but describes as a thematic keyword the issue of factual information. Linguistic properties of the lemma are not, or only to the extent included, as it is in the understanding of the thing signified by the lemma. The selection of the lemma applies in a tangible dictionary usually also proper names and is used to cover and structuring of a particular kind or knowledge area that be a special field or claim after also may cover the whole available knowledge about the world.

An encyclopedic dictionary ( also language and content dictionary, built-in dictionary ), sometimes also called in Germany since the 1930s Allbuch and by type particularly widespread in France, provides sprachlexikographische and sachlexikographische information of equal importance and wants to fulfill the basic functions of both dictionary types. Even otherwise, the types of language and subject dictionaries often occur in mixed form, particularly in the area of ​​encyclopaedias, where technical language dictionaries often incorporate additional linguistic information to Lemma and its translatability also a self -weight proportion of factual information, or subject specific property dictionaries.

Typology

Starting from the general overall language dictionary that a comprehensive information program for the core of general language provides (example: Duden dictionary of foreign words ), we can distinguish a number of dictionary types that are limited in relation to this type of dictionary in either the Lemmaauswahl or information program:

Typology of content;

  • Lemmatyporientierte specialized dictionaries record only a selected part of the vocabulary. Dictionaries with pragmatically limited Lemmaauswahl recorded parts of the vocabulary, which are marked pragmatic. This includes, inter alia, slang dictionaries, Neologismenwörterbücher, foreign words books, profanities books.
  • Dictionaries with word historically limited Lemmaauswahl. This includes Lehnwörterbücher, Erbwörterbücher and dictionaries of lost words. Criterion for Lemmaauswahl is a showy word story.
  • Dictionaries with semantically limited Lemmaauswahl. This includes name dictionaries and dictionaries that are devoted to specific semantic fields.
  • Dictionaries with limited formal Lemmaauswahl. Selection criterion here is the shape of the Lemmazeichens. This includes, inter alia Morphemwörterbücher, word family words books and abbreviation dictionaries.
  • Type of information -oriented dictionaries not characterized by limitations of Lemmaauswahl from, but by a limited information program. Syntagmatic Dictionaries describe the syntactic properties of lexical sign. This includes, inter alia, the Valenzwörterbücher, construction dictionaries and collocation dictionaries.
  • Content Paradigmatic dictionaries inform mainly about the lexical- semantic relations, in which are the lexical units described each other. This includes synonym dictionaries, Antonymenwörterbücher, linguistic thesauri analogy dictionaries and picture dictionaries.
  • Paradigmatic expression -oriented dictionaries inform form aspects of linguistic expressions. These include declining dictionaries, pronunciation dictionaries, phonological dictionaries, crossword dictionaries and rhyme dictionaries.
  • For more information type oriented dictionary types are the pronunciation dictionary, the etymological dictionary, the dictionary of foreign words, the frequency dictionary ( dictionary of the frequency ) and the spelling dictionary.
  • User group -oriented dictionaries are dictionaries whose Lemmaauswahl and information program tailored to a particular type of user. This includes the learner dictionaries, the primary school dictionaries and children dictionaries.
  • Sprachvarietätenorientierte dictionaries also limit their Lemmaauswahl, but with the claim, within the detected language variety (s) to be comprehensive. These include special language dictionaries of different groups, dialect dictionaries and specialized dictionaries.
  • Finally, there are some types of text -based dictionaries. The description of item here coincides with the dictionary base. At this dictionary types include the author dictionaries and quotations dictionaries.
  • Translation dictionaries mediate between the vocabulary of two or more languages. They are divided according to the same criteria as general dictionaries, ie about in general and technical language translation dictionaries (see also translation ).

Typology formal aspects

  • Printed dictionaries (print dictionaries, of Engl print. , " Pressure") are dictionaries that are made in the book printing process. By the end of the 20th century they were the only form of publication of dictionaries. Special forms are: The pocket dictionary that was originally designed for the user to stand as a permanent reference in the workplace are available ( on hand ). It developed partly to an extensive, also multi-volume work.
  • The pocket dictionary was originally intended to be carried in a pocket practical and therefore attempts in a small format as much information to offer.
  • The unabridged dictionary is the most comprehensive language dictionary that appears in several volumes in part. The type was created in the early 1960s by the publisher Langenscheidt, by reissued already introduced large dictionaries under this name. The first of this type was probably the German - Greek dictionary by Hermann amount that appeared in 1960 under this title. Other publishers followed, so that the number of these dictionaries rose rapidly.
  • Since the 1980s, dictionaries are also forms of technological ( electronic publication ). It is important to distinguish whether the data is duplicated or if they are in a central repository. As electronic dictionary, a dictionary is referred to, which is reproducible on electronic data carriers, in particular CD-ROM and DVD, made ​​and distributed.
  • Online dictionaries are digitized reference books that are available at a central data storage and query only online via the Internet, in part, may be edited.

The structure of dictionaries and dictionary articles

A dictionary is generally from outside text and the vocabulary.

  • In the dictionary the lemmas are listed
  • The outer texts everything outside the actual words directory, for example, introduction, users hints (key to abbreviations, etc.) and inflection tables belongs.
  • Are the outer texts before the dictionary, one speaks of the leader ( engl. front matter ), they are then available from the trailer (English backmatter )

The dictionary is a distinction between macrostructure and microstructure: Under the macrostructure refers to the selection of lemmas, their arrangement and the arrangement of the outer texts. One of the most important macro-structural decisions is how the lemmas are to be arranged. In most dictionaries is done alphabetically.

As the single dictionary entry is organized, that is, the arrangement of the word information is part of the microstructure.

Alphabetical sorting

In the alphabetical arrangement, there are different options:

  • Straight Alphabetically or strictly alphabetical order: The arrangement of the lemmas is done - as the name says - strictly alphabetically. That is, for each keyword (except directly consecutive in the alphabet variants of a lemma such as "Epitaph " and " Epitaph " ) there is a unique approach in the dictionary.
  • Niche Alphabetical: First, how strictly alphabetically. However, if a word family several words listed, so these appear deposed as Sublemmata from Hauptlemma.
  • Nest Alphabetical: Here you can use the alphabetical structure to be broken by a Sublemma may also consist of an inflected form or a compound word.

Example of a word line in a different order:

The nest alphabetical arrangement is particularly space -saving ( in printed dictionaries an important factor ) for the user but also the most confusing, because words from different word families are grouped in a nest. As the most user-friendly applies the smooth sort alphabetically because each keyword is on a separate line and opened its own entry, but this takes precious pressure of space. This respect, the African alphabetical arrangement a compromise, you grouped lemmas, without breaking the alphabetical order. Using the different editions of the dictionary unabridged dictionary can be observed for the different line shapes: Formed the six-volume unabridged dictionary nor nests, as they are in the second, eight -volume edition replaced by niches and the ten -volume edition of 1999 follows a smooth alphabetical approach.

  • In a declining or rear dictionary alphabetical sorting from the ending takes place here.

Not Alphabetical Order

  • In languages ​​that do not use an alphabet, the list is sorted according to different criteria, for example in China on the basis of radicals ( class heads ) and number and shape of the strokes.

More macro-structural considerations affect the selection of lemmas and the data range, ie what information is to give it such as specific types of words.

Under the microstructure on the other hand refers to the specific information that will be made ​​into a lemma. These data are marked to summarize as much information on as little space in most language dictionaries through text compression ( abbreviations, paraphrases, etc.). In property, dictionaries, however, very different long texts are also available. In many cases, Articles definitions are preceded by, followed by the information in continuous prose. In the text or at the end of the text cross-references are given to other articles that are content with the text in relationship. At the end of the article - especially in encyclopedias and encyclopedias - often given references.

Dictionary use

Dictionaries are designed to help users to connect lexical gaps in knowledge, so must be structured so that information can be looked up quickly and efficiently. Both single-and multi-lingual dictionaries require the user two conditions:

The dictionary use research - or dictionary didactics - deals with user expectations of dictionaries and examines the conditions for successful dictionary use ( " What questions will be answered in what dictionary? "). The findings are included in the creation of new dictionaries, or in existing dictionaries, which are transferred to other media.

A detailed overview of German Dictionaries and lexicography are hate - Zumkehr ( 2001).

Reference work Prologue Systematics (disambiguation)
240662
de