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LEX Definitions

The document discusses the importance of definitions in lexicography, emphasizing that they should be clear, accurate, and independent. It outlines three basic types of definitions and criteria for enhancing their quality, such as completeness and clarity. Additionally, it highlights the use of electronic corpora to improve definitions by providing contextual meanings through concordance lines.

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10 views2 pages

LEX Definitions

The document discusses the importance of definitions in lexicography, emphasizing that they should be clear, accurate, and independent. It outlines three basic types of definitions and criteria for enhancing their quality, such as completeness and clarity. Additionally, it highlights the use of electronic corpora to improve definitions by providing contextual meanings through concordance lines.

Uploaded by

unarine959
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Definitions

A dictionary definition is also referred to as the paraphrase of meaning. Definitions fall


under the microstructure as they relate to the treatment of the lemma.

Keywords

1. Define … to explain the meaning of a word.


2. Definition…a statement giving the exact meaning of a word or phrase. Definitions
should not be more difficult than the words they define.

Lexicographers strive to enhance the quality of definitions in monolingual dictionaries


to best suit the needs and level of their target users. According to Landau (2001:162)
the definition must define and not just talk about the word or its usage. The answer to
what is being defined (lemma) must be provided directly and immediately. The
lexicographer should strive to describe the meaning of a given lemma in easier
language than the lemma itself.

There are three Basic types of definitions namely,

 Genus and differentiae definition.


 Synonym definition.
 Circular definition.

 Criteria for enhancing the quality of definitions


Lombard (1991:166) identifies a number of defining criteria that would result in good
definitions namely completeness, clarity, accuracy, consistency, independency,
objectivity and neutrality.
a) Completeness
All details, features and characteristics necessary to understand what the word mean
should be given. According to Lombard (1991) the incompleteness (not giving enough
information) and overcompleteness (oversimplification) should be avoided.
Example: tennis… a game played by two or four people on a rectangular court. The
players use rackets to hit a ball over a net which is placed across the middle of the
court.
b) Clarity
The definition should be easily understood. This means that it should be less
complicated, less detailed, and not repetitive so that it is easily understood.
Example: avocado…a green pear-shaped tropical fruit with a hard skin and a large
stone.
c) Accuracy
The definition should be factually correct. Example of a factually incorrect definition:
Cheetah-the biggest catlike animal.
````````````````This definition is factually incorrect because a cheetah is not really the
biggest catlike animal.
d) Independency
Independency of a definition means that it will not be necessary for the user to consult
more than one definition to obtain the meaning of a specific lemma or sense.
Example: geologist…a person who studies geology.
This definition is not independent as the user must first search for the definition of
geology to know the meaning of geologist.

 Electronic corpora as a key to writing better definitions.

Corpus serves as a technique to provide better definitions. Concordance lines are


generated from corpora. These lines constitute a useful tool for the lexicographer. A
single word is chosen, and concordance lines are attached to it to provide contextual
or relevant meanings.

Example:

The two men were involved in a bank robbery this morning


There were crocodiles on each bank of the river
Given your unreliability I cannot bank on you.
The moon disappeared behind a bank of clouds

The concordance lines generated above give the chosen lemma “bank”different
contextual meanings.

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