Lexicographic Tools Research Articles

Principles of teacher professional development and digital lexicographical skills for designing in-service training modules

English as a foreign language teachers often use free access online bilingual dictionaries (FAOBD) to plan their lessons but rarely utilize these dictionaries as didactic resources. This paper outlines the design process, and theoretical foundations involved in designing an in-service teacher module, a byproduct of a multiple case study research, aimed at equipping tertiary EFL educators with the necessary conceptual and procedural knowledge to use these digital lexicographical tools. Data collected from a questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, and an online course evaluation form, applied to a sample of four teachers from a Colombian university, revealed scant teacher training and institutional support, limited motivation to use FAOBDs among teachers and students, and a high incidence of look-up errors. These results underscored the need for the training module. Addressing users’ perspectives, teacher training needs, and leadership support is fundamental to optimizing FAOBD use through enhanced lexicographical skills development.

A Learners’ Dictionary Versus ChatGPT in Receptive and Productive Lexical Tasks

Abstract This study assesses the effectiveness of ChatGPT versus the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE) in supporting English language learners in lexically challenging receptive and productive lexical tasks. With a sample of 223 university students at B2 to C1 proficiency levels, this research investigates whether a leading AI-driven chatbot or a high-quality learners’ dictionary better assists learners in accurately understanding and producing English. The results reveal ChatGPT’s superior performance in both task types. Efficiency, in terms of consultation speed, also favoured ChatGPT, though only in the production task. This study advocates for an integrated approach that leverages both AI, with its interactive and immediate feedback, and more traditional lexicographic tools that may foster learner autonomy and linguistic proficiency.

Print Dictionaries Are Still in Use: A Survey of Source Preferences by Polish Translators

Abstract The study aimed to investigate the sources used by modern translators, specifically whether they use traditional lexicographic tools or diverted their preferences to newer sources of information. Data was collected via an online survey. The sample consisted of 229 mainly Polish translators of various languages and specialisations. It was found that the most frequently used source was the search engine, followed by Wikipedia/similar and online parallel texts. Officially published dictionaries are used often. Moreover, dictionaries were most often cited as the sources that translators could not imagine working without (34% of the total responses); 8% of the responses mentioned printed dictionaries as indispensable in translators’ work and these are used by 87% of the translators who took part in the study. Online dictionaries without a specified author are used by 83% of respondents, but 99% of them verify the content either regularly (50%) or occasionally (49%).

Aspekte van inligtingsonttrekkingstrukture in aanlyn woordeboeke

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

Lexicographical Landscape: An Investigation into Digital Tools, Preferences, Challenges and Usage Patterns among Pakistani Graduate ESL Learners

The present study explores the uses, preferences and challenges of ESL learners in using digital lexicographical tools in typical Pakistani context. As technologies continue to shape language learning, the importance of digital lexicographical tools has increased substantially. However, the specific preferences and challenges in using these tools by the ESL learners are less explored in Pakistani context. The researchers employed mixed method approach and floated a questionnaire among 200 ESL learners from public sector universities eliciting their preferences, challenges and frequency of use. Additionally, focus group discussions and individual interviews provide deeper insights into participant’s perspective. Findings of the study reveal that these ESL learners exhibit strong tendency in using digital lexicographical tools (DLTs) due to easy accessibility and convenience in use. Most popular DLTs include Google online dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, thesauruses and Merriam Webster (Mobile Apps). Nevertheless, the study identifies challenges faced by the participants, such as limited internet connectivity, Google advertisements that impede a successful and trouble-free consultation process, the terminology used to describe the difficult terms they seek is beyond their comprehension lack of teachers’ guidance in selecting appropriate tools. They have positive attitude towards digital lexicographical tools to help them enhance their lexical development and language knowledge. Through DLTs, they have experienced a sense of autonomy and independence in learning. Furthermore, the study proposed that there is a need to gain guidance from teacher to select an appropriate and suitable digital lexicographical tools and suggested digital lexicographical tools based on their level of understanding.

The Operative Function in Spanish Lexicography Exemplified through Sport Dictionaries and Other Reference Works

Over time, dictionaries have been adapted to meet users' consultation needs. As a result, other types of data such as instructions or specialised explanations have been included in these works in order to fulfil their purpose. It is in this context that operative lexicographical tools are produced, although such tools have traditionally received very little attention from a metalexicographic point of view. Through the analyses of 5 existing dictionaries and other reference works from the 18th to the 20th centuries regarding equestrianism, football and fencing, this article shows that many lexicographical information tools in Spanish were indeed produced to satisfy the need for practical knowledge through instructions (operative need). Based on this finding, this article argues that the operative function of lexicography deserves a place in lexicographical theory and lexicographical academic literature. An interesting finding that emerges from these analyses is that almost all the dictionaries analysed are polyfunctional, and they share a list of characteristics based on their typology, media and historical moment that can help to make clear the importance of the operative function in the Spanish lexicographical tradition. Furthermore, on the basis of the above analyses, several answers are given to guide future research on operative lexicographical products. Keywords: function theory, Spanish lexicography, sport dictionaries, polyfunctional tools, operative function, specialised dictionaries

La cucina delle parole

Abstract The Glossario Artusiano (Artusian Glossary) has been designed as a lexicographical tool, capable of gathering and studying the whole lexicographical wealth of Pellegrino Artusi’s La Scienza in cucina e l’Arte di mangiar bene (1st edition in 1891; 15th edition in 1911), a cornerstone of Italian gastronomic culture. By looking at some case studies, this article illustrates the criteria, tools and methodology which may have been used to compose the glossary. The purpose is to highlight how these results can establish a constructive dialogue with the Vocabolario Storico della Lingua Italiana della Gastronomia (VoSLIG), within the framework of the AtLiTeG Project.

Les débuts de la lexicographie multilingue roumaine: ressorts pragmatiques et influences culturelles

The Beginnings of Romanian Multilingual Lexicography: Pragmatic Sources and Cultural Influences. The beginnings of Romanian multilingual lexicography are deeply rooted in the first religious texts translated from Slavonic on the territory of the Romanian Principalities. The first dictionaries were aimed at fulfilling practical needs, being conceived as annexes to Slavonic or translated religious literature circulating at the time on the Romanian territory. This study provides an analysis of the first Romanian lexicographic projects, identifying their prototypes and describing the pragmatic background that these lexicographic initiatives were based on. Many of these works have sadly been lost, while others have been just partially preserved in private libraries. In these conditions, for the reconstruction of the Romanian lexicography belonging to that specific period, we resorted to two categories of sources: the notations and testimonies of the authors of the first lexicographic projects, and studies on the old Romanian lexicography. As they were not based on the rigorous scientific conception of a proper lexicographic school, the first Romanian dictionaries reflect the initiative of some scholars, revealing both their perspective on the role of such lexicographic tools and the stage of development of the Romanian language at the time.

Varia Lexicographica III. Neues Material zum byzantinischen und postbyzantinischen Wortschatz

“Varia Lexicographica III. New Material on Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Vocabulary”: This article discussesvarious Greek words, which are attested in lexicographical tools, especially in the Lexikon zur Byzantinischen Gräzität (LBG).However, the present study is much more than a list of Addenda et Corrigenda. On the contrary, it considers the developmentof Greek vocabulary from Antiquity up to Modern Times and it offers linguistic observations which are missing from the LBGand other dictionaries. The article also stresses that research on (Byzantine) Greek vocabulary needs consideration of nonliterarysources too, especially epigraphy.

L’élaboration d’un dictionnaire bilingue des valeurs mobilières

As of today, one cannot find, in Canada, a dictionary totally dedicated to securities. The concept of securities refers to a large sphere that includes preferred shares and partnerships, as well as fraud and broker dealers. This paper will analyze the making of a bilingual dictionary of securities through four different steps: 1-the literature on the subject; 2-the nomenclature; 3-the microstructure; 4-the bilingual lexicon and the medium. At each of these steps, the following objectives will be followed: first, to compile the Canadian terminology which applies to securities; second, to offer to researchers, translators and professionals a lexicographical tool that is complete and useful; and third, to take into account, if need be, the legal aspects of the terms defined.

A mixed methods case study on the use and impact of web-based lexicographic tools on L2 writing

This study used a mixed methods research design to investigate use of Web-based lexicographic tools during real-time second language (L2) writing activity in an English as a foreign language university context and the impact of their use on writing quality. Participants included 22 adult Japanese EFL learners, elementary to advanced language proficiency, and their tutor. Data were collected using digital screen capture and eye-tracking technologies while participants wrote a 35-minute essay. Supplementary stimulated retrospective recalls were also conducted to document participants’ reflections on the use of these tools during the full writing event. Results revealed that participants spent, on average, 15% of composing time consulting online tools, with bilingual resources the most used. Importantly, mediation analysis found that L2 proficiency was the main, and direct, predictor of essay score. These findings as well as specific patterns of use discerned are discussed with reference to the qualitative data before proposals for further research and pedagogical implications are considered. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1987273 .

Ἵππος χλωρός (Rev 6.8): A Methodology for the Study of Colour Terms in the New Testament

The meaning of χλωρός in Rev 6.8 has been given a variety of interpretations (green, yellow, pale, vigorous etc.) due to its polysemic character; that is, it possesses a chromatic as well as an achromatic meaning and, in addition, if it denotes colour, can express a wide spectrum of hues. From this arises the need for a methodology that offers not merely a gloss, but rather a ‘meaning’. This methodology is based on: an analysis of the text; the use of the term; the concept of colour that existed in antiquity and the entity in which the colour was embodied; and the use of various lexicographical tools provided by the field of cognitive linguistics.

“For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought”. Manuscript terminology across languages and scientific disciplines

The complex terminology used in the description of medieval books in manuscript catalogues and other scientific contributions offers a wide range of possible ambiguities and losses across languages and disciplines, losses that become evident most notably on their crossing paths in the Internet. . Sadly enough, true long-term collaboration across countries and disciplines is more the exception than the rule, which is also why the question of terminology and its translation is frequently neglected. The authors of the present contribution, an Italian codicologist and a German art historian – both of whom have provided lexicographical work tools which have seen several translations) – propose an overview of the work tools currently available (theoretical reflections, dictionaries, multilingual glossaries), followed by a small but significant selection of examples of gaps, ambiguities and other problems regarding the building of a shared multilingual language in manuscript studies.

Hacia la construcción de un diccionario fraseológico multilingüe en línea españolcroata-italiano: presentación y fundamentación metodológica.

This paper focuses on Diccionario fraseológico multilingüe digital (DFMD), an online multilingual dictionary of idioms which is currently in progress in Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy). In order to legitimize our project, the first part of this essay presents an overview of Spanish, Croatian and Italian existent lexicography and, secondly, describes the main aims of the project. Later, we analyse the most important features of this lexicographical tool and explain which criteria have been adopted to select the terminology used in DFMD.

A dictionary of legal English collocations as an aid for mastering the legal English genre

The article begins with a brief overview of collocations and their features as being central to legal language and, as such, worth studying, especially in view of the fact that legal language studies tend to be mostly interested in terminology rather than phraseology. To bridge this gap, the article offers a tool for legal English learners, i.e. the dictionary of legal English collocations based on judgments of the UK Supreme Court. Our dictionary project is aimed at analysing the corpus we created, using Sketch Engine software, a cutting-edge lexicographic tool which enables the uploading and exploration of users’ own corpora. The project will focus on analysing bipartite legal English collocations appearing in the corpus. The next stage of the project will be the preparation of the final product of our research, i.e. a dictionary of legal English collocations. We believe that such a dictionary will prove a useful aid for mastering the conceptual structure of legal English.

How to select and present cultural data: a challenge to lexicography

Abstract Foreign language learners need to get cultural information during their learning process for their oral and written comprehension and expression activities. Current lexicographic products are not characterized by showing explicit, systematic, and organized cultural data about cultural words or expressions found in their vocabularies. Current lexicographic products are not characterized by showing explicit and/or systematically cultural data about cultural words or expressions found in their vocabularies. Consequently, learners’ communicative and cognitive needsare not satisfied when looking up any cultural word and/or expression. One of the challenges of lexicography is how to select and represent cultural data in various lexicographic products. Overcoming this double challenge will depend on how these lexicographic tools cope with the following actions: (1) personalization of the lexicographic product; (2) integration in other tools (e.g. writing assistants); and (3) development of the product as a learning tool and not only a consultation tool. In view of this issue, this paper discusses about how to select cultural data from different sources and how to represent them in Write Assistant, a tool created by the Danish language technology company Ordbogen and published in 2019, though still in progress. Special attention will be given to Spanish speakers learning the English language.

Variación léxica en las Antillas: diatopía y estandarización gráfica en las lenguas criollas franco-caribeñas

El proceso de institucionalización de una lengua pasa por su cristalización gráfica y consecuente normalización, elemento indispensable para su inclusión en la educación y legitimización como vehículo de expresión lingüística y cultural. En zonas geográficas enmarcadas dentro de unos rasgos históricos específicos, tales como los territorios que han pasado por un periodo de colonización, la formación de sistemas lingüísticos como las lenguas criollas se ha visto influenciada por factores tan relevantes como el contacto de masas poblacionales provenientes de distintos territorios y la emergencia comunicativa. Así, estas lenguas se nos presentan como sistemas en proceso de estandarización, donde la variación gráfica derivada de esa diligencia evolutiva juega un importante papel en el tratamiento de dicha variación, consecuencia de las diferencias diatópicas derivadas de los cambios de pronunciación, y por ende, en la creación de recursos lexicográficos. En este breve estudio, se pretende localizar y dar cuenta de los diversos tipos de variación gráfica en las lenguas criollas de base léxica francesa de la zona americano-caribeña.

Word Embedding Based on Large-Scale Web Corpora as a Powerful Lexicographic Tool

The Aranea Project offers a set of comparable corpora for two dozens of (mostly European) languages providing a convenient dataset for nLP applications that require training on large amounts of data. The article presents word embedding models trained on the Aranea corpora and an online interface to query the models and visualize the results. The implementation is aimed towards lexicographic use but can be also useful in other fields of linguistic study since the vector space is a plausible model of semantic space of word meanings. Three different models are available – one for a combination of part of speech and lemma, one for raw word forms, and one based on fastText algorithm uses subword vectors and is not limited to whole or known words in finding their semantic relations. The article is describing the interface and major modes of its functionality; it does not try to perform detailed linguistic analysis of presented examples.

Création de ressources lexicographiques Français–Slovène d'aide à la traduction spécialisée

Creating a Slovene–French LSP Dictionary for translation purposes. In order to compensate for the lack of lexicographical resources for the French–Slovenian language pair in the field of specialized translation, a bilateral project has been set up with the aim of developing an online dictionary to be used as a lexicographical tool and as an aid for writing scientific texts. This article presents a method that allows students to actively participate in the process of creating an online database for storing information on specialized terminology and phraseology. We first present the lexicographical situation in Slovenia, especially for the French–Slovenian language pair, and then the objectives of the project as well as the teaching method aimed at creating comparable corpora and lexicographical resources compiled by the students. Finally, we conclude with a synthesis of the results obtained. This method, which has been used since 2018 in a Masters course, provides excellent results from a practical and pedagogical point of view.

A Re-Examination of the Lemma through Digital and Functional Lenses

The lemma is one of the core terms in lexicography. It is the lexicographical item that users of paper dictionaries normally utilise to look for the dictionary article that can help them satisfy their information need, and lexicographers consider the lemma an essential and indispensable part of a lexicographical tool. However, as new technologies are continuously being developed and many dictionaries (or lexicographical data) are incorporated into other kinds of digital tools, e.g. writing software and e-readers, it is necessary to re-examine the notion of lemma because these changes have consequences for the definition of this term. Furthermore, research into the operative function – one of the main functions in the lexicographical function theory – has shown that the lemma should not only be associated with words, but also other types of needs than those related to linguistic signs, something which e-dictionaries more easily are able to accommodate compared to paper-based dictionaries. This contribution, therefore, re-examines the lemma and investigates its role in e-dictionaries, and it suggests a provisional definition of this core lexicographical term that is applicable in e-dictionaries and in digital tools based on lexicographical data.