Remarks on dictionaries: with special reference to grammar, pronunciation and orthographic variation

• Autores: Niels Davidsen-Nielsen
• Localización: Proceedings of the Tenth EURALEX International Congress, EURALEX 2002: Copenhagen, Denmark, August 13-17, 2002 / Anna Braasch (ed. lit.), Claus Povlsen (ed. lit.), Vol. 1, 2003, ISBN 87-90708-09-1, págs. 29-38
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The languages dealt with in this paper are English and Danish. In a section on pronunciation it is shown that English words such as disperse, distract, discover with medial /sp, st, sk/ were formerly transcribed incorrectly in British English dictionaries. As a result ofan experimental investigation carried out by the author, however, errors of this type have subsequently been corrected. A section on grammar in English language dictionaries discusses so-called multi-word verbs, i.e. verbs like turn down (= reject), wait on (= serve), put up with (= tolerate) and takeplace (= happen). The author proposes a classification ofthese verbs, arguing that two widely used English dictionaries tend to operate with too many of them. Finally, a section on spelling variation discusses the approach to such variation adopted in the Danish Orthographic Dictionary. Here the author argues that many instances ofspelling variation canjustifiably be eliminated.