Abstract
Interviews with undergraduate students from the University of Ljubljana, who are majoring in English and can be considered language specialists, investigated habits of dictionary use, ...look-up abilities, and perceptions of the utility and quality of definitions and illustrative examples. This contrasts with a parallel study (Farina et al. 2019) with undergraduates majoring in business and economics. Like the parallel study, this study was based on fourteen questions and nine contexts containing a clearly-marked common word used in an infrequent sense; participants had to locate the sense in a dictionary that, at the time of the studies, was the online Merriam–Webster Learner’s Dictionary, rebranded today as The Britannica Dictionary. Participants were asked to think aloud as they looked up words. Among other results, the study revealed that its participants, while they were linguistically-educated and experienced, did not fully grasp the complexity of presenting dictionary information online.
Abstract It is unfortunate that scholars have given scant attention to what can be called immigrant dictionaries. These books are significant to the history of (learner) lexicography; they meet ...pressing needs of immigrants and refugees. This article examines four immigrant dictionaries, Slovenian–English and English–Slovenian (Kubelka 1904, Kubelka 1912b, Košutnik 1912, and Kern 1919), published in the early twentieth century at a time when the Slovenian immigration to the United States was at its height. The presentation of information in these dictionaries is investigated with a focus on the treatment of homonymy, polysemy, conversion, and parenthetical information. Findings address the implications of a macrostructure-oriented versus a microstructure-oriented approach for immigrant user understanding. The paper recommends that learner lexicography should prioritize the design of the lexicographic presentation in the microstructure and prioritize the presentation of meaning over other possible elements covered traditionally in dictionaries.
Abstract
This article reports on findings from interviews with students from the University of Ljubljana. The study is based on fourteen questions about participants’ habits of dictionary use, their ...look-up abilities, and their perceptions of the utility and quality of definitions and illustrative examples. Students were given nine contexts containing a clearly-marked common word used in an infrequent sense; they had to locate the relevant sense in the online Merriam–Webster Learner’s Dictionary (MWLD). A think-aloud method enabled the researchers to follow the students’ look-up process and record their problems as well as their suggestions on how to improve the content and presentation of information in the dictionary. Recommendations are provided on: the improvement of drop-down menus; the inclusion of the form(s) of a target word; illustrative examples; the use of italics, boldface, and colors as well as what types of information should be displayed or available if needed.
V članku je na kratko predstavljena zgodovina slovenskega priseljevanja v ZDA. Sledi analiza šestih slovarjev in priročnikov, objavljenih med letoma 1895 in 1919, ki so bili slovenskim izseljencem v ...ZDA v pomoč pri učenju in razumevanju angleščine ter pri prilagajanju novemu kulturnemu okolju. Avtorice v raziskavi ugotavljajo, katere vrste informacij so bile izseljencem na voljo v preučevanih slovarjih in priročnikih (npr. razlaga izgovora angleških besed, razlaga angleške slovnice, koristni pogosti komunikacijski obrazci, navodila za naturalizacijo, pojasnila o poimenovanju in vrednosti ameriških kovancev in bankovcev, različni oglasi).
Two iconic twentieth-century print dictionaries provide a sampling of dictionary front matter in the Soviet–Russian lexicographic tradition; they demonstrate how front matter was used for overt and ...covert messaging about the linguistic norm. First is the one-volume bilingual English–Russian dictionary of Vladimir Karlovich Müller, and second is the one-volume monolingual Russian dictionary of Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov; later it was published with Ozhegov and Nataliia Iul’evna Shvedova listed as co-authors. Both dictionaries were revised and reprinted over many decades. Only two editions of each dictionary are in focus, although there were more than sixty editions of Müller, 23 of Ozhegov, and several of Ozhegov and Shvedova.
This contribution presents the second and final report on a study that set out to gain a greater understanding of what general modern Slovenian lexicography is. The full study focused on the ...philosophy, accomplishments, daily practice, and dictionary projects of seven prominent members of the Slovenian lexicographic community, all of whom were interviewed at length. An open-ended interview script allowed study participants to both reflect on their practice and portray their vision of what lexicography or terminography is. Part 1 (Vrbinc, Farina and Vrbinc 2018a; 2018b) reported on whether the lexicographers saw their work as drudgery and what they saw as the nature of their role in the society. Here, in Part 2, the emphasis is on the day-to-day concerns of the participating Slovenian lexicographers. They discuss both the technological and the human resources that drive their work. This second report also includes a brief survey of the historical development of Slovenian lexicography as the necessary backdrop for the interpretation of the modern situation.
An introduction to the topic of front matter, with remarks addressing three papers that resulted from a lively round table and audience discussion on dictionary front matter that took place at the ...May 2019 conference of the Dictionary Society of North America, held in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. There, round table participants interacted with a large group of lexicographers in the audience, who expanded upon the participants’ remarks as they discussed dictionary front matter in different languages, from different cultural traditions, and from varying time periods. There is already a recognition among specialists that the online environment, which is often a “front-matter free zone,” has represented a significant loss of the lexicographic information traditionally provided in print dictionaries. It is hoped that the introduction (as well as the three papers included with it) will spur still more conversation in the field of lexicography.
This contribution reports on a study that set out to paint as complete a picture as possible of the context and content of modern Slovenian lexicography. We aimed to discern the philosophical ...underpinnings, the most noteworthy accomplishments, and the main projects of Slovenian dictionary work as presented by our seven subjects, who are all prominent members of the lexicographic community. We sought specialists who work on synchronic topics and concentrate more on the standard language and terminology rather than on dialectal variation and other lexicographic topics that are of more interest to scholars than to educated lay persons. The interview script consisted of thirteen narrative questions, designed to allow the interviewees to reflect in as much depth as possible on their daily practice as well as on their underlying vision of what lexicography or terminography is. This article discusses the development and influences of Slovenian lexicographic theory and presents part 1 of the results of this study: the views of the practicing lexicographers on whether they perceive their lexicographic work as drudgery and what they see as the essential nature of their role in society — how the dictionary maker can be a force for good and avoid any potential for harm.Objektiwiteit, voorskriftelikheid, onskadelikheid en sleur-werk: Beskouings van leksikograwe in Slowenië.In hierdie bydrae word verslag gedoen oor 'n studie waarin gepoog is om so 'n volledig moontlike beskrywing te gee van die konteks en inhoud van die moderne Sloweense leksikografie. Ons het probeer om die filosofiese boustene, die noemenswaardigste prestasies, en die belangrikse Sloweense woordeboekprojekte soos voorgehou deur ons sewe respondente, wat almal prominente lede van die leksikografiese gemeenskap is, weer te gee. Ons het vakkundiges gekies wat aan sinchroniese onderwerpe werk en meer op die standaardtaal en -terminologie konsentreer as op dialektiese variasie en ander leksikografiese onderwerpe, wat van meer belang is vir die vakkundige as vir die opgevoede leek. Die onderhoud het bestaan uit dertien narratiewe vrae, wat ontwerp is om die respondente toe te laat om so volledig moontlik weer te gee wat hul daaglikse praktyke is sowel as wat hul onderliggende visie van die leksikografie en terminografie is. Hierdie artikel bespreek die ontwikkeling en invloede van Sloweense leksikografiese teorie en gee deel 1 van die resultate van hierdie studie weer: die beskouings van die praktiserende leksikograwe oor of hulle hul leksikografiese werk as sleurwerk ervaar en wat hulle as die wesensaard van hul rol in die gemeenskap beskou — hoe die woordeboekmaker 'n goeie mag kan wees en enige potensiële skade kan vermy.
It is fitting that this tribute to Professor Ladislav S.L. Zgusta should be published in Dictionaries:Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America. Professor Zgusta was a frequent contributor ...of articles and reviews to Dictionaries, and was a founding member, vicepresident (1981-1983), and president (1983-1985) of the Dictionary Society, an organization that was important to him. His scholarly work in lexicography and many other fields will continue to shape and influence us. The passing of Professor Zgusta on April 27, 2007 prompted so many conversations and exchanges of emails, the renewal of old friendships and acquaintanceships, and the formation of new ones. It also resulted in the intense telling of stories — the remembrance of events that would have been inconsequential and long forgotten if Professor Zgusta had not been present.
PDF
