Evaluating A Dictionary

Evaluating A Dictionary

1. Raghad Abutaleb D R. Khaleel al- bataineh Evaluating a dictionary Amman Arab University D epartment of English Language and Translation

2. What is dictionary? reference resource which provides information about words and their meanings, uses, and pronunciations. A dictionary may be published as a printed book, or as a digital product such as a website or app, and it may be monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual. A list of words or phrases and their definitions arranged in alphabetical order . help users look up definitions to get a better understanding of the word and an overall better understanding of a language or field

3. Types of dictionaries Paper dictionaries Online dictionaries Electronic dictionaries

4. Why are dictionaries important? - A good dictionary can help you understand your subject better, improve your communication and improve your grades by making sure you are using words correctly . - not all dictionaries are the same and if you don’t know how to use a dictionary correctly, it could actually teach you the wrong meaning of a word and make it more difficult to get a good grade .

5. Choosing a dictionary Finding the right dictionary for your purposes and learning to use it effectively are key to accurate translating, reading, and researching. Contemporary dictionary resources come in three forms: paper, online, and electronic. Since it’s difficult to recommend a single “one-size-fits-all” tool, you’ll want to consider a number of dictionaries of each variety before settling on the best one(s) for your purposes.

6. Paper dictionaries Pocket dictionaries with 50,000 to 70,000 entries are handy for carrying around and looking up common items, but are stopgaps with drawbacks: lack of clarity (caused by small print and other space-saving approaches) and a lack of completeness. Novice readers soon become advanced ones and become frustrated with limited resources .

7. Paper dictionaries Serious students and researchers are better served by a standard, hardcover dictionary comprised of at least 150,000 to 300,000 entries in each language and prefaced with a clear outline of the system of entries and information that it contains.

8. Paper dictionaries It’s important to read through the introduction of the dictionaries you’re considering. In each look up key words, including (1) contemporary jargon in your field to see if the dictionary is up to date; (2)?several noun entries to see how gender and plural forms are presented; (3) compound nouns to check the extent to which compounds are defined; (4) irregular verbs, paying close attention to whether principal parts are listed as separate cross-referenced entries, whether haben /sein-auxiliary verbs are given, and how verb types (transitive, intransitive, reflexive) are denoted; (5) common and field-related abbreviations; and (6) proper nouns and names. Ease in finding and understanding such entries should be the deciding factor in your selection.

9. To test whether a standard dictionary makes it easy for you to find and understand its entries, pay attention to the following aspects:

10. 1. Clarity of physical presentation: Can you read the print? Are several print types used to clarify different meanings of the same word? Does the dictionary use colored lettering, boldface, italics, and a numbering system? 2. Clarity of definitions: Does the dictionary supply authentic examples of modern usage in context? How are idioms listed? Are the translations themselves idiomatic? 3. Focus: Has the foreign reader been taken into consideration? Are the predicates and principal parts of irregular/strong verbs listed as main entries? Does the dictionary provide a sufficient number of compound nouns? 4. Special lists of entries: Do the lists assist you? Does the extra listing make it easier for you to find the specialized information in the dictionary?

11. Best paper dictionaries For American English, at least, you can't go wrong with either of these: Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary American Heritage Collegiate Dictionary For British English, I recommend: Concise Oxford English Dictionary

12. Online Dictionaries The major argument for online dictionaries is that they are don’t cost anything. Here, again, it’s advisable compare entries above all for completeness, but also regarding contemporary jargon, nouns, verbs, and compounds . Note that students preparing for reading proficiency or translation exams may not be permitted to use online tools during the exam. In this case, it’s important not only to have access to a paper dictionary, but also to practice using i

13. Best online dictionary 2021 Collins Dictionary Pros - Boasts several modes to allow various searches that help improve their grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. - Features over 4.5 billion words - Has both audio and video pronunciations Cons - It doesn’t feature urban words - The translator mode doesn’t always give correct translations

14. 2- Wiktionary Pros - The etymology feature permits users to see the origin of a word - It supports several languages - The “anagrams” feature helps you to learn new terms by rearranging letters in a word. Cons - Users question their credibility since users can edit anything on the site

15. 3. Google Dictionary Pros - It supports several languages - It carries the credibility and reliability of Google as a brand - Boasts meanings of nearly every English word Cons - Word translations are not always correct - There are concerns that it doesn’t feature old-school English words

16. 4. Urban Dictionary Pros - It incorporates words that are often not found in standard dictionaries - It boasts new words from the streets or those that are borrowed from the showbiz Cons - Doesn’t feature more formal words - You sometimes have to do many searches without getting desired results

17. 5. Oxford Dictionary Pros - one of the oldest, and most trusted online dictionary - The wordfinder feature helps build vocabulary by helping you learn more about related words. - Boasts both American and British pronunciations Cons - There are claims of the dictionary having complex word definitions and unclear explanations

18. 6. Macmillan Online Dictionary Pros - Every word defined in this dictionary links to a thesaurus entry - It defines words with commonly occurring English terms - It features new words daily to help improve your grammar Cons - It has limited features when compared to other dictionaries

19. 7. Cambridge Online Dictionary Pros - The online version boasts idioms, American English, learners, international, and phrasal verb dictionaries - Pronunciations , synonyms, and translations features help users enhance their vocabulary - Supports several languages Cons - Boasts lots of information that might make it hard to get desired results

20. 8. Dictionary.com Pros - It features a word directory that has been created in over two decades - It comes with outstanding features such as word games, synonyms, slang phrases, audio pronunciation and more - It provides word use cases in sentences, as well as includes definitions for medical terms Cons - Its association with Ask.com is not going well with some users

21. Electronic dictionaries Electronic dictionaries are less cumbersome than online ones since they’re smaller, lighter, and don’t require web access. An e-dictionary may be equal or even superior to the paper version, provided that the e-version has an equally comprehensive word list. Always test a variety of dictionaries to ensure that you’re comfortable with the clarity of presentation and definitions. Note, that good electronic dictionaries can be much more expensive than traditional paper dictionaries.

22. New words added to dictionary 2021 as we know every year there’s 1000 thousand words added to the dictionary , here are some of the words that’ve been added to the dictionary since January 2021 Long hauler  : a person who experiences one or more long-term effects following initial improvement or recovery from a serious illness (such as COVID-19 ) Pod  and  Bubble  : a usually small group of people (such as family members, friends, coworkers, or classmates) who regularly interact closely with one another but with few or no others in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection during an outbreak of a contagious disease. 

23. Bubble  also gained an additional meaning: an area within which sports teams stay isolated from the general public during a series of scheduled games so as to prevent exposure to disease and that includes accommodations, amenities, and the location at which the games are held Wet market  : a market that sells perishable items (such as fresh meat and produce ) and sometimes live animals which are often slaughtered on-site

24. Words from online communication Reaction GIF  : a  GIF  of someone or something (such as a celebrity or an animal) that is sent or posted in reply to something (such as a text message or a social media post or comment) and that typically depicts and expresses a reaction Digital blackface  : the use by white people of digital depictions of Black or brown people or skin tones especially for the purpose of self-representation or self-expression Hard pass  : a firm refusal or rejection of something (such as an offer) Performative   disapproving  : made or done for show (as to bolster one's own image or make a positive impression on others) @   informal  : to respond to, challenge, or disparage the claim or opinion of (someone) —usually used in the phrase  don't @ me Flex   informal  : an act of bragging or showing off Cancel culture  : the practice or tendency of engaging in mass  canceling  as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure

25. Words from New Ways of Working Makerspace  : a communal public workshop in which makers can work on small personal projects Coworking  : being, relating to, or working in a building where multiple tenants (such as entrepreneurs, start-ups, or nonprofits) rent working space (such as desks or offices) and have the use of communal facilities Crowdfunding  : the practice of obtaining needed funding (as for a new business) by soliciting contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community Gig worker  : a person who works temporary jobs typically in the service sector as an independent contractor or freelancer

26. Words from Politics and the Justice System Decarceration  : release from imprisonment  also  : the practice or policy of reducing the number of people subject to imprisonment Prison industrial complex  : the profit-driven relationship between the government, the private companies that build, manage, supply, and service prisons, and related groups (such as prison industry unions and lobbyists) regarded as the cause of increased incarceration rates especially of poor people and minorities and often for nonviolent crimes

27. Words About Identity BIPOC  ( abbreviation ) : Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color Folx  :  folks  —used especially to explicitly signal the inclusion of groups commonly marginalized Sapiosexual  : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to highly intelligent people Silver fox  : an attractive middle-aged man having mostly gray or white hair

28. Words of Comfort ASMR  or  autonomous sensory meridian response  : a pleasant tingling sensation that originates on the back of the scalp and often spreads to the neck and upper spine, that occurs in some people in response to a stimulus (such as a particular kind of sound or movement), and that tends to have a calming effect Hygge  : a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable Entheogen  : a psychoactive, hallucinogenic substance or preparation (such as psilocybin or ayahuasca ) especially when derived from plants or fungi and used in religious, spiritual, or ritualistic contexts

29. Word looking to the future Second Gentleman  : the husband or male partner of a vice president or second in command of a country or jurisdiction

30. References http:// www.antimoon.com/how/dictionary.htm http:// www.columbia.edu/itc/german/korb/1113/client_edit/dictionary.html https:// www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/new-words-in-the-dictionary https:// www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/dictiona.htm https:// www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/wrtps/index-eng.html?lang=eng&lettr=indx_catlog_p&page=96bousMx83Pw.html https:// english.stackexchange.com/questions/14425/what-is-the-best-paper-based-dictionary https:// theconversation.com/how-technology-is-changing-language-and-the-way-we-think-about-the-world-35856 https://rapidapi.com/blog/best-online-dictionaries /