Types Of Dictionaries

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TYPES OF DICTIONARIES Dictionary aims A dictionary is an alphabetical listing of words with descriptive information about them, intended to be used for reference purposes. Descriptive information includes definitions, etymologies, pronunciations, and other information. Dictionaries are most commonly found in the form of a book, but some newer dictionaries, like StarDict, are dictionary software products running on PDAs or computers. There are also many online dictionaries accessible via the Internet. Taking the needs of the users’ into consideration is a very important element in defining dictionary aims. The needs of the users considered in the course of compiling a dictionary include interpreting today's culture and civilization, understanding vocabulary of today’s society and using dictionary as a record of language. Main reasons for consulting a dictionary are to discover a meaning of a word and to check the spelling of a word. Other reasons include verifying that their use of the word is correct, the pronunciation and also to verify that the word exists. There are five main steps in consulting a dictionary: 1. Identifying a vocabulary problem 2. Making a decision to use a dictionary to solve the problem 3. Finding an entry for the word-form or phrase being sought 4. Locating the right specific entry or part of an entry 5. Exploiting the information obtained Two terms connected with the organization of a dictionary are macrostructure and microstructure. The former term refers to what constitutes an entry and how the entries are arranged, while the latter concerns the layout and organization of the individual entry. At the beginning of each sense of a polysemous lexeme there are the so-called quick definitions, in bold capitals, which allow the user to locate more easily the
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