Corpora: Dictionary Arabic-Dutch / Dutch-Arabic

[Hans Paulussen]

		Dictionary Arabic-Dutch / Dutch-Arabic

		 Leerwoordenboek Arabisch-Nederlands
		 Leerwoordenboek Nederlands-Arabisch

		     Mark Van Mol & Koen Berghman

			  Bulaaq - Amsterdam

		A new learners' dictionary for Arabic:
	     An innovative instrument for Arabic learners


The international Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie) and the
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven have recently published two volumes of
new learners' dictionaries Arabic-Dutch and Dutch-Arabic. Both
dictionaries, which can be considered as a new milestone in Arabic
lexicography, have a number of features unknown in Arabic dictionaries
until now.

1. Corpus linguistic approach:
The dictionaries are based on an extensive representative sample of
texts of Modern Standard Arabic of approximately 3,000,000 words.

2. Spoken and written language:
The compilation of the dictionaries is based on written and spoken
Arabic. The spoken corpus consists of transcribed spoken Standard
Arabic from radio and TV programs from all over the Arab world,
encompassing more than 1,000,000 words.

3. Translation methodology:
The translation of all dictionary entries is based on words in
context.

4. Context-oriented:
To help learners to produce foreign language, the entries are
presented in context. More than 10,000 sample sentences and
expressions were included.

5. Modern corpus analysis techniques:
An encoding system developed at the University of Leuven has helped to
detect any word in any context.

6. Database management:
All data are stored in a database, making further electronic
explorations possible.

7. Learners' dictionary:
This is probably the first learners' dictionary of Arabic on the
market, containing a treasure of information going from usage notes to
cultural information.

8. Vocalization:
All word, expressions and sample sentences of the two dictionaries are
completely vocalized.

9. Discriminating pointers:
In order to help het learner in search of the different shades of
meaning, discriminating meaning pointers have been included in both
dictionaries.

10. Lay-out:
Much attention was given to the lay-out, including the different fonts
and font sizes, to make dictionary look-up an easy task.


Further information can be found at:
http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/ilt/arabisch/engels.htm

or contact Prof. Dr. Mark Van Mol:
Mark.VanMol at ilt.kuleuven.ac.be