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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>My lexicography work has been only on bilingual
dictionaries (plus a very little bit on the wiki pages). I hope the below
suggestions are helpful.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>One thing that might be useful to keep in mind is that a
definition should say what the word is, and what it is not. For example, after
describing a door as something that opens, it should be modified so you know
it's not a window.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Egyptian pyramid seems reasonable if features unique to the
Egyptian type are being described as opposed to the American pyramids. Surely
they have different structures, uses, histories, etc.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Although fictional character seems transparent, the
expression gets 980,000 Googits, which is a powerful reason for inclusion. The
word "fictional" perhaps just clarifies the word to distinguish it from other
sorts of characters.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>File sharing seems like a single word to me. It seems like
the expression envelopes a single concept and is an activity that people take
part in.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Item of furniture seems ridiculous; I can't think of a
reason to keep it.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I don't know what a "leaf storm" is. If it means leaves
flying violently in the wind, it might be a single phenomenon worth
keeping.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Radioactive material seems like a single item, though the
English does seem transparent. It might be best described as a collocation, but
is there any other word that describes what "radioactive material" is?
Radioactive substance is a possibility, but there don't seem to be
many.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Unauthorized copy seems borderline. Is this a copy that is
merely unauthorized, or does it have a particular meaning? It seems to me that
screaming at someone distributing copies of your private poetry, "That's an
unauthorized copy," is simply the adjective unauthorized plus copy, and what's
more, this would be true for any paper copy. As a single expression, and thus
worth defining, it seems like it refers specifically to copies of software for
which a license has not been granted by the copyright owner. (There might be a
counterargument here.)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>HTH</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=765352404-12102005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><!-- Converted from text/plain format -->
<P><FONT size=2>* * * * *<BR>Benjamin Barrett<BR>Baking the World a Better
Place<BR>www.hiroki.us<BR>* * * * *</FONT> </FONT></SPAN><BR></P></DIV>
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style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
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<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Andrew
Dunbar<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 10, 2005 3:28 PM</FONT><TT><BR><BR>2.
Wiktionary is currently including more and more phrases whose<BR>meanings are
transparent and which are not in any print dictionary. It<BR>is becoming an
issue. Some phrases which have been given definitions<BR>at some point are:
"Egyptian pyramid", "fictional character", "file<BR>sharing", "item of
furniture", "leaf storm", "radioactive material",<BR>and "unauthorized copy".
After debate, only a couple have been<BR>removed. Since none of our
contributors have any training in<BR>lexicography, I am keenly interested in
knowing how qualified people<BR>draw the line between phrases to include in a
dictionary and phrases<BR>not to include.<BR><BR>Andrew Dunbar
(hippietrail)</TT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><!-- |**|end egp html banner|**| -->
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