Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: What exactly IS a dictionary anyway?

From:Dirk Elzinga <dirk.elzinga@...>
Date:Wednesday, November 1, 2006, 20:44
On 11/1/06, Benct Philip Jonsson <bpjonsson@...> wrote:
> Gary Shannon skrev: > > I have more or less been guided by my own experience with > > print dictionaries, but I ran across this dictionary that > > I'm really excited about: > > > > http://dict.leo.org/ > > > > Yeah, that is a great dictionary, and it illustrates the > reason's why digital dictionaries are superior to print > ones. I work as a translator, and I hardly ever use a print > dictionary anymore, except for specialized vocabulary. I > would even go so far as to say that a computer program for > creating a print-style dictionary is a waste of time and > computer power, print dictionaries already being yesterday's > technology.
One shouldn't discount the importance of a dictionary as a cultural artifact. Sure, an online dictionary is more cost-efficient, flexible and practical, but it's hard for a non-linguist to get excited about or take pride in a database. Dirk

Reply

Roger Mills <rfmilly@...>