The Theory And Practice Of Examples In Bilingual Dictionaries

The dictionary example is the culminating component of the information presented in articles of dictionaries intended for language learning. This study analyses the example comprehensively: its provenance, its theoretical status, its distinction from multiword lexical units (to be presented as infralemmas), types and specific functions. The example not only illustrates the data provided by the definition, the equivalent, the grammatical, collocational and pragmatic items, but also provides valuable complementary information on the use of each lexical unit described. Examples are models with which users can form other sentences but are also instantiations of the language that escape systematicity and reflect unpredictable but real uses. Theoretical reflection on the theory of the example (with special emphasis on the bilingual), analysis of how (especially bilingual) dictionaries present examples and what kind of information each type of example provides can assist lexicographers in planning their dictionaries and making theoretically based choices when it comes to the selection and presentation of examples.

The dictionary example is the culminating component of the information presented in articles of dictionaries intended for language learning. This study analyses the example comprehensively: its provenance, its theoretical status, its distinction from multiword lexical units (to be presented as infralemmas), types and specific functions. The example not only illustrates the data provided by the definition, the equivalent, the grammatical, collocational and pragmatic items, but also provides valuable complementary information on the use of each lexical unit described. Examples are models with which users can form other sentences but are also instantiations of the language that escape systematicity and reflect unpredictable but real uses. Theoretical reflection on the theory of the example (with special emphasis on the bilingual), analysis of how (especially bilingual) dictionaries present examples and what kind of information each type of example provides can assist lexicographers in planning their dictionaries and making theoretically based choices when it comes to the selection and presentation of examples.

This book is the first comprehensive monograph on the Function Theory of Lexicography, which originated at the Aarhus School of Business (Aarhus University). Function Theory considers dictionaries to be tools that are constructed for assisting specific users with punctual needs in specific usage situations, e.g. communicative-oriented situations and cognitive-oriented situations. The book's main focus is on defending the independent academic status of lexicography and its corollary: The process of designing, compiling and updating (specialised) online dictionaries needs a theoretical framework that addresses general and specific aspects. The former are common to all types of information tools, the latter are mainly dependent on the media for which the information tool is constructed and their specific target users. This books offers both aspects and moves from the highest level of abstraction to very detailed aspects of lexicographic work, e.g. how to convert an originally-conceived polyfunctional online dictionary into several monofunctional usage-based ones. The book illustrates that the theory and the methodology currently used by advocates of the Function Theory of Lexicography offers better results than other approaches and therefore makes its case for proposing the Function Theory for terminological/terminographical work.

This book is the first comprehensive monograph on the Function Theory of Lexicography, which originated at the Aarhus School of Business (Aarhus University). Function Theory considers dictionaries to be tools that are constructed for assisting specific users with punctual needs in specific usage situations, e.g. communicative-oriented situations and cognitive-oriented situations. The book's main focus is on defending the independent academic status of lexicography and its corollary: The process of designing, compiling and updating (specialised) online dictionaries needs a theoretical framework that addresses general and specific aspects. The former are common to all types of information tools, the latter are mainly dependent on the media for which the information tool is constructed and their specific target users. This books offers both aspects and moves from the highest level of abstraction to very detailed aspects of lexicographic work, e.g. how to convert an originally-conceived polyfunctional online dictionary into several monofunctional usage-based ones. The book illustrates that the theory and the methodology currently used by advocates of the Function Theory of Lexicography offers better results than other approaches and therefore makes its case for proposing the Function Theory for terminological/terminographical work.

This book provides a systematic survey of the theory and methods of dictionary-making (including the linguistic background): what types of dictionary there are, how different kinds of information are dealt with when compiling dictionaries, how this information is presented to users, and how dictionaries are actually used. It refers throughout to both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, giving a full account of the writing of definitions as well as of the selection and presentation of equivalents. The treatment of other types of information provided in dictionaries - such as pronunciation, inflection, constructions, collocations and idioms - is described systematically in individual chapters. The book also discusses dictionary structure, illustrations, the collection and selection of material, the management of dictionary projects, law and ethics in lexicographic work, and dictionary criticism. As well as looking at print lexicography, the author discusses the role of the Web, electronic corpora, electronic dictionaries, and compilation software used in dictionary-making. This is an important and practical guide to contemporary lexicography, designed for lexicographers, language students and teachers, translators and academics.

Given the new technological advances and their influence and imprint in the design and development of dictionaries and lexicographic resources, it seems important to put together a series of publications that address this new situation, dealing in particular with multilingual and electronic lexicography in an increasingly digital, multilingual and multicultural society. This is the main objective of this volume, which is structured in two central aspects. In the first of them the concept of multilingual lexicography is discussed in regard to the influence that the Internet and the application of digital technologies have exercised and continue to exercise both in the conception and design of dictionaries and new lexicographic application tools as well as the emergence of new types of users and forms of consultation. The role of the dictionary must necessarily be related to social development and changes. In the second thematic section, different dictionaries and resources that focus on a multilingual and electronic approach to the linguistic data for their lexicographical treatment and consultation are presented.