Re: Dictionary formats

Am 30.03.02, Aidan Grey yscrifef:

>    Just wondering:
>
>    Those of you with detailed dictionaries (are there any of you?), how do
> you list everything in your notes? Everyone here can't be making one-to-one
> wordlists. So how do you make comments indicating various usages,
> compounds, and so on?
Here are some Talarian examples in both directions.

SS = semistative verb
D = durative form; S = stative form
P = punctual form
n.N. = noun neuter; adj. = adjective

weytinam, [weytam + -n- aug] SS (D) vb. perceive, know thoroughly
(S); absorb (D)

[The semantics of the root have shifted a little from simple
knowing to thorough comprehension and asiduous study; depending
on whether the verb is conjugated as a durative or stative.]

shshor, [*skor (?)] n.N. excrement, dung (of wild animals and
non-humans); artifact; any abandonned object

[The simple meaning is retained, "dung"; while some new levels of
meaning are added.]

-rar, [-r- nominal affix] deverbal, denominal affix, with ideas
of "place where verb happens" or "place of noun"


be, wasam, ffewam, staham, hassem

        wasam, [*wes-] D vb. be, stay, dwell
        ffewam, [*bheu-] SS (D) vb.  be, exist
        staham, [*sta] S vb.  be; stand
        hassem, [*es-] SS (S, D) vb.  be

book, puucar; (illuminated), hatretoos

        hatretoos, [hatram] n.N. (-r-) painted or carved
        symbols: icons, illuminated books, painted statues

buy for temple offering, malcam

        malcam, [Y. malq-, choose for ritual purposes] P
        vb. choose, select for a purpose; A vb. buy for temple offering

deep, haretar, sewepar, nisewepar

        haretar, [*er d-] n.N., adj. tall, high, deep
        nisewepar, [ni- + sewepos] n.N., adj. very deep
        (lit.); profound (fig.); n. a deep gorge or canyon
        sewepar, [*dheub-] n.N., adj. depth, deep

I don't think simple relexification is going on here.  There is
some division of labour going on. As can be seen, there are
peculiar single words that translate are phrasals in English; and
single English words that translate as phrasals in Talarian.

>    Do you do anything to make sure that you're not relexifying, e.g. use
> WordNet, or another language's dictionary?
>
>    Aidan
>
Gwerez dah, chee gwaz vaz, ha leal.