[Lexicog] Theoretical constructs vs. practical reference dictionaries

[Kenneth C. Hill]

Have you lexicographers for Philippine languages seriously tried
enthusiastic cross-referencing?

In the Hopi Dictionary we provide cross-reference entries like "amùusa-
See corresponding (àa)sa- entry. amùu-sa-[them-QNT-]" Translated, this
means "for any item beginning in "amùusa-", one should look under "àasa-".
The reader is reminded by the morphological breakdown, "amùu-sa-
[them-QNT-]" that the analysis of items beginning in "amùusa-" is "them" +
the "quantity" morpheme (explained in the accompanying grammatical sketch)
and is alerted to/reminded of (depending on how much the reader has been
paying attention) the fact that the pronominal element "àa-" at the base
form is a variable. It is the third person singular form; but other
person/number forms can be substituted.

I know this is a minor example. Hopi is basically a suffixing language so
we didn't have to confront major problems like those encountered by
Athabaskanists or describers of Philippine languages. But at least a lot
of practical cross-referencing might help reduce the problem.

Root dictionaries do work for really sophisticated individuals. A few
years ago at the University of Michigan, I was shown by a PhD student from
Libya how to use an Arabic dictionary. I was quite impressed, but now I
wonder how Libyan Arabic speakers not at the PhD level handle a root
dictionary of Arabic? (For those of you who know something about Arabic on
this list: Don't just say Arabic speakers do or don't. Let's try to find
out how good that approach really is.)

--Ken Hill


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