[Lexicog] circular definitions

[Peter Kirk]

On 09/03/2004 01:22, cce wrote:

>
>
> ... I could imagine that would be useful for speakers of languages
> such as Kaxinaua or Guarani, or any language with no decent bilingual
> English dictionary, speakers who would at any rate be fluent enough to
> understand a definition in a Learner’s Dictionary. An unlikely, but
> possible situation. ...


Not that unlikely. I don't know how many languages of the world do not
have a good quality bilingual dictionary with English, but it is
certainly many thousands, with numbers of speakers from the hundreds up
to the millions. I have seen an estimate that half a billion people do
not have a Bible in their mother tongue, and I would guess that the
figure for bilingual dictionaries with English (or French etc) is in the
same ball park. Of course not all of these people are actively learning
English, but a rather large proportion aspire to do so! Meanwhile
learners' dictionaries are sold in huge numbers, and presumably used;
and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the purchasers barely know what
"bull" means when buy it.


--
Peter Kirk
peter at qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk at qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/




Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     lexicographylist-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/