Multimodal Lexicography: The Representation of Meaning in Electronic Dictionaries

Lew, Robert A.

doi:10.4314/lex.v20i1.62717

Cited by 52 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…As we are entering a new era of electronic dictionaries, will CDVs still play a role? It is true that technical innovations offer the potential to extend a repertoire of modes of meaning representation from verbal explanation to multimodality, employing such devices as pictorial and animated illustrations, audio recordings and video clips (De Schryver 2003;Lew 2010). However, even in electronic dictionaries, definition still plays 'a prominent role' (Lew 2010: 292).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critique of the Controlled Defining Vocabulary in <i>Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English</i>

Hai

2012

Lex

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This article critically analyses the Longman Defining Vocabulary (LDV) in relation toits size, range and frequency, senses, parts of speech, affixes, and multiword expressions. The recent versions of the LDV contain a relatively fixed number of items. Over 85% of those items were found to be highly frequent, and for the defining purpose, genus terms, grammatical terms, etc. have also been included. The number of affixes in the LDV has been greatly reduced, and some common derivatives have been listed separately. On the other hand, the actual size of the LDV is much larger than was reported, for LDOCE did not distinguish between the LDV items with different senses or forms. It was found that the claim of using the 'most common meanings' of the LDV items is not always held true. The parts of speech of the LDV items have not been systematically indicated. Many multiword expressions, which have been used in the definitions in LDOCE, are not part of the LDV. This study sheds some light on the improvement in the practice of using a controlled defining vocabulary in an English learner's dictionary. Keywords: CONTROLLED DEFINING VOCABULARY, LONGMAN DEFINING VOCA-BULARY, SIZE, RANGE, FREQUENCY, SENSE INDICATION, POS INDICATION, INCLUSION OF AFFIXES, INCLUSION OF MULTIWORD EXPRESSIONS Opsomming: 'n Beoordeling van die beperkte definisiewoordeskat in dieLongman Dictionary of Contemporary English. In hierdie artikel word 'n kritiese ontleding gedoen van die Longman Definisiewoordeskat (LDW) met betrekking tot die grootte, omvang en frekwensie, betekenisse, woordsoorte, affikse en meerwoordige uitdrukkings daarvan. Die onlangse weergawes van die LDW bevat 'n relatief vaste aantal items. Daar is bevind dat meer as 85% van hierdie items 'n hoë frekwensie het, en dat genusterme, grammatiese terme, ens., ook ingesluit is vir die doeleindes van definiëring. Die aantal affikse in die LDW is grootliks verminder, en sommige algemene afleidings is apart gelys. Aan die ander kant was die werklike grootte van die LDW baie groter as wat aangedui is, aangesien LDOCE nie onderskei het tussen die LDW-items met verskillende betekenisse of vorms nie. Daar is bevind dat die bewering dat die 'algemeenste betekenisse' van die LDW-items gebruik is, nie altyd gegeld het nie. Die woordsoorte van die LDW-items is nie sistematies aangedui nie. Baie meerwoordige uitdrukkings wat in die definisies van LDOCE gebruik is, vorm nie deel van die LDW nie. Hierdie studie werp lig op die verbetering in die gebruik van 'n beperkte definisiewoordeskat in 'n Engelse aanleerderswoordeboek. Sleutelwoorde IntroductionIn the English learner's dictionary market, the five major competitors except for COBUILD have all acknowledged the role of a controlled defining vocabulary (CDV) in the decoding task, and compiled definitions on the basis of around 2,000 to 3,500 CDV items. The practice of using a CDV in definitions originates from the New Method English Dictionary (NMED), a learner's dictionary which had 'an entirely original feature -definitions based on ...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critique of the Controlled Defining Vocabulary in <i>Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English</i>

Hai

2012

Lex

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“…This study was inspired by Lew (2010). Following my previous work on multimodal definition, the article tentatively proposes a new term, multimodal exemplification.…”

Section: Main Findings and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, e-dictionary multimodality has changed exemplification profoundly, enriching and expanding meaning in various dimensions. To deepen our understanding of e-dictionary exemplification in the digital transformation, the term multimodal exemplification is proposed under the umbrella of multimodal lexicography (Lew 2010), following my previous work on multimodal definition 1 (Liu 2015). It is tentatively defined as the selection and presentation of examples with multimodal devices for achieving greater effectiveness in exemplifying than language does alone, especially in an e-dictionary.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multimodal Exemplification:The Expansion of Meaning in Electronic Dictionaries

Liu

2017

LEXI

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Abstract:This article investigates electronic dictionaries under the framework of SystemicFunctional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) and argues for improving their exemplification multimodally. Multimodal devices, if well coordinated, can help optimize e-dictionary examples in informativity, diversity, dynamicity and interactivity. The term multimodal exemplification is tentatively proposed under the umbrella of multimodal lexicography (Lew 2010), and defined as the selection and presentation of examples with multimodal devices for achieving greater effectiveness in exemplifying than language does alone, especially in an e-dictionary. Evidence shows that multimodal exemplification can expand the three metafunctional meanings of the e-dictionary discourse: ideational, interpersonal and textual. Ideational meaning can be enriched by not only multimodal examples per se but also cross-modal example-definition ties, and hyperlinks facilitate meaning flow in the semantic network. Interpersonal meaning can be expanded by user participation and design options, including those for page layout (spatial mode) and example genre style (verbal mode). Textual meaning can be reinforced by information value, composition, salience and framing. This article makes a first attempt to explore the intermodal relationship between a definition and the examples under the same sense, and to present a diagram illustrating a typical design of visual space in e-dictionaries. By exploring the special features of multimodal example texts, it may deepen our understanding of the emerging multimodal lexicography and complement multimodal discourse studies from a lexicographical perspective. Keywords: E-DICTIONARY, EXAMPLE, METAFUNCTIONAL MEANING, MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, MULTIMODAL EXEMPLIFICATION, MULTIMODAL LEXICOG-RAPHYOpsomming: Multimodale toeligting: Betekenisuitbreiding in elektroniese woordeboeke. In hierdie artikel word elektroniese woordeboeke binne die raamwerk van Sistemies-Funksionele Multimodale Diskoersanalise (SF-MDA) ondersoek en geargumenteer ten gunste van die verbetering van hul multimodale toeligtingshulpmiddels. Indien multimodale hulpmiddels goed gekoördineer word, kan hulle help om die e-woordeboekvoorbeelde te optimaliseer ten opsigte van informatiwiteit, diversiteit, dinamiek en interaktiwiteit. Die term multimodale toeligting word tentatief voorgestel onder die oorkoepelende multimodale leksikografie (Lew 2010), en gedefinieer as die seleksie en aanbieding van voorbeelde met behulp van multimodale hulpmiddels ten einde groter effektiwiteit in toeligting te verkry as wat met slegs taal gedoen kan word,

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“…What one can find are either random meanings, analyzed in a general way, either some groups of senses, indicated by dictionary editors (LDOCE analysis, see: Lew 2010, Stein 1991 or as intuitionally perceived by the author (Langridge 1998: 72-73). What is missing is a language semantic structure divided into the meaning groups that will approximately cover the whole lexical system (compare Casares 1959, Chapman 1977, Hallig and Von Wartburg 1963.…”

Section: State-of-the-artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dictionary Tradition vs. Pictorial Corpora: Which Vocabulary Thematic Fields Should Be Illustrated?

Biesaga

2017

LEXI

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Abstract:The latest research conducted by De Jong (2014) indicated that only a few European academic dictionaries, among over one hundred and fifty, use pictorial illustrations. On the other hand, it has been mentioned several times in the literature (related to both printed and electronic reference works) that visual content makes a general dictionary more attractive for the user. Therefore a new methodology, enhancing graphical strategy in lexicography, would be proposed. Firstly, a thematic division of meanings will be applied to the authentic multimodal explanations taken from two general dictionaries (verbal definition and graphical facility). As a result, commonly illustrated thematic fields will be shown along with the ones used by lexicographers in a restrained way, as well as the fields left without illustrations for some reasons. The exemplary meanings from these latest, "orphan" groups will be confronted with the query results from the authentic multimodal corpora. Such a procedure will give us some more detailed information about the obstacles connected with illustrating this particular set of senses (for example multimodal denotation and connotation problems). Keywords: MULTIMODALITY, GENERAL LEXICOGRAPHY, MONOLINGUAL DICTION-ARIES, PICTORIAL ILLUSTRATION, THEMATIC FIELDS, IDEOGRAPHY, CONNOTATION, DENOTATION, ONOMASIOLOGY, MULTIMODAL LEXICOGRAPHY Résumé: Tradition du Dictionnaire versus Corpora d'Images: Quels ChampsThématiques du Vocabulaire Doivent Etre Illustrés? Les travaux de recherche les plus récents conduits par De Jong (2014) indiquèrent que seul très peu de dictionnaires académiques en Europe, parmi un peu plus de cent cinquante, utilisent des illustrations picturales. Cependant, il a été plusieurs fois mentionné dans la littérature lexicographique (s'agissant à la fois des ouvrages de référence sur papier comme des ouvrages de références électroniques) que le contenu visuel rend un dictionnaire général plus attrayant pour l'usager. De ce fait, le présent article tente de proposer une nouvelle méthodologie en vue de renforcer une stratégie graphique en lexicographie. Premièrement, une catégorisation thématique des sens des mots s'appliquera aux explications multimodales authentiques extraits de deux dictionnaires généraux (définition verbale et provision * This article was presented as a paper at the COST ENeL WG3 meeting Between Corpora and Dictionaries/Crowdsourcing and Gamification, held in Budapest, Hungary, 24-25 February 2017. http://lexikos.journals.ac.za Dictionary Tradition vs. Pictorial Corpora 133 graphique). Conséquemment, des champs thématiques habituellement illustrés seront exposés, de même que ceux utilisés de façon restreinte par les lexicographes et ceux souvent laissés sans illustration pour diverses raisons. Des exemples des sens de ce groupe "orphelin" seront confrontés aux résultats d'une investigation des corpora authentique multimodaux. Cette procédure permettra d'obtenir des informations plus détaillées sur les obstacles qui empêchent d'illustrer un ensemble par...

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Multimodal Lexicography: The Representation of Meaning in Electronic Dictionaries

Cited by 52 publications

References 12 publications

A Critique of the Controlled Defining Vocabulary in <i>Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English</i>

A Critique of the Controlled Defining Vocabulary in <i>Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English</i>

Multimodal Exemplification:The Expansion of Meaning in Electronic Dictionaries

Dictionary Tradition vs. Pictorial Corpora: Which Vocabulary Thematic Fields Should Be Illustrated?

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