Algonquian dictionaries

[George Fulford]

Wachiye Connor -

I agree completely with Margaret.  Digital is the way to go with dictionaries in Algonquian languages as it enables searches based on root, rather than just by letter with which the word begins.  I'm not sure the digital files Connor has lend themselves to a detailed searching by root, especially given morphophonological changes that can happen when roots are in different positions (i.e., initial, medal, final) in stems.  While pdfs can be searched, I don't think that they easily accommodate such variations.  However, if the file is rendered into a spreadsheet form this can easily be overcome by embedding alphanumeric codes for the root in each entry.  

I'm neither a computer geek nor a lexicographer, but I did build a Cree dictionary based on the Faries and Watkins dictionary (roughly 9,000 entries) about 15 years ago and have been fine-tuning it ever since.  Following advice from Keren Rice back in the late 1990s, I used Filemaker Pro, which remains an accessible and user-friendly format.  Using embedded codes enables me to search for roots appearing in initial, medial and final position.  By including fields on stem type, word class, etc one can do some quite detailed searches and analyses.  However, this sort of format is not necessarily suitable for language learners, who probably just want to look up a word or series of words sharing the same root.  A further point is that I have not tried to publish this dictionary online, so I'm not sure whether people using it in that way would need to have Filemaker installed on their computers.  

Another point to consider is that technically speaking, most dictionaries in Algonquian languages are bilingual dictionaries.  The importance of developing "true" dictionaries for fluent speakers of Algonquian languages  was stressed by John Nichols in a presentation at last year's Algonquian Conference.  

However you proceed, making digital materials available online vastly increases their accessibility.  About 10 years ago a team of people with whom I was involved worked to digitize about 300 hours of stories told by Omushkego storyteller Louis Bird.  The website (www.ourvoices.ca) allows users to access Mr. Bird's stories in audio and written format by keyword search and browsing.  The keyword function needs to be reworked as it is clunky.  Nevertheless, data on users collected on the site indicates that nearly 1 million people have browsed the site since it went live in October 2003. 

Good luck on your work Connor - it sounds like an exciting and worthwhile project!

George Fulford


On 2013-09-03, at 8:48 AM, Margaret Ann Noodin <noodin at UWM.EDU> wrote:

> Aanii / Hello -
> 
> Just to add a quick word on Algonquian dictionaries and language resources.  It is best when they can be digital and the search function allows searches by root verb.  Additionally, searches that allow users to isolate morphemes are nice.  I used both the Freelang Ojibwe http://www.freelang.net/dictionary/ojibwe.php the Ojibwe People's Dictionary http://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/ and find differences in both as well as a definite need to know the language to use them.  In an ideal world there would be many full context examples with every entry but that simply is not the case to date.  I often find myself searching my own site http://ojibwe.net/ and hard drive for use instances when debating which word to use in curriculum or creative endeavors.
> 
> Good luck with it!
> 
> Margaret Noodin
> noodin at uwm.edu
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Inge Genee" <inge.genee at ULETH.CA>
> To: ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
> Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 6:32:34 AM
> Subject: Re: Algonquian dictionaries
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dia ’s Muire dhuit, a Chono(i?)r, 
> 
> 
> 
> Very interesting questions. I’m just getting ready to do something similar with the already existing Blackfoot dictionary, and am very interested in answers to these questions. Have no experience to offer yet, unfortunately. 
> 
> 
> 
> Inge 
> 
> 
> 
> From: ALGONQUIANA [mailto:ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG] On Behalf Of Conor Quinn 
> Sent: September-02-13 2:46 PM 
> To: ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG 
> Subject: Algonquian dictionaries 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dia dhaoibh, a chairde! 
> 
> We're just now starting up a three-year effort to bring the current digital manuscript (ca. 16-17K entries) of the Penobscot Dictionary into a print- and web-published form, and so I thought I might ask the many of you who are experienced in these matters just one question: based on what you know now, what would you have done differently? Be that in the structuring of the dictionary, its presentational form, its preface+introduction and appendix content, or anything else. (Advice on what you would not do would also be gratefully appreciated.) 
> 
> Good luck in all your own efforts (especially here as the fall semester comes thumpily upon us), and keep well. 
> 
> Slán, 
> Conor M. Quinn