LINGUIST List 8.446

Mon Mar 31 1997

Qs: "Round" usage, French in Africa, CD-ROM

Editor for this issue: Susan Robinson <suelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Alexei M. Ghilarov, "round" in different languages
2. Jim Walker, French in Africa
3. Ping Li, Electronic Dictionaries

Dear Colleagues,

My name is Xenia Ghilarova , I am a student of the Lomonosov Moscow
University, Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.
(Moscow 119899).

Within a research into the typology of polysemy, I am trying to
describe the usage of the word "round" in a variety of languages.

My e-mail address is ghilarovlimnol.bio.msu.su

Please help me by providing translations into your native language of
the list of expressions given below.

The list consists of a number of combinations which include a noun and
the adjective "round". Some of these combinations make sense in some
languages. For instance, the word-for-word Russian translation of the
expression "round fool"(kruglyj durak) denotes an utter fool. Some of
these interpretations (which refer to different languages) are given
in brackets.

If one or more of literal translations of these combinations into your
language make sense, please provide these translations, together with
their interpertation. If a combination does not make sense, mark it
with a dash. In the case if the adjective "round" can be translated
into your native language with more than one word, please choose the
one that you would use in the phrase "The sun is round" (or "a round
sun").

I will be very grateful for any help you may offer. Please send the
responses directly to me rather than to the Net as I am not a
subscriber of Linguist.

*********

round man (= stout)
round fool (= complete)
round orphan
round excellent pupil (= complete)
round person (= plain-spoken, uncompromising)
round man (= drunk)
round face
round cheeks
round eyes (= surprised)
round back
round shoulders
round nose
round year (= all year round)
round day
round month
round date
round sum
round number
round measure (= approximate)
round dozen
round loneliness (= complete)
round character (manner)
round answer (= plain, straight, honest)
round refusal (= resolute, decisive)
round lie (= bold, arrant)
round assertion
round oath
round style
round brackets
round meal
round sugar
round voice (sound)
round speech
round phrase (= completed, perfect or ambiguous?)
round blow (= heavy, severe)
round fighting (= vigorous)
round movement (= quick, sharp or smooth?)
round pace (= quick, brisk)
round trip (= there and back)
round wine
round song
round dance
round game
round defense
round table
round ball
round hat
round towel
round arch
round jacket (or another garments)
round tool (chisel, spade)

Could you indicate other combinations, idiomatic or figurative meanings
of the word "round"? Please, write some of them.

Hello!

I'm currently collaborating with the ROFCAN (Reseau des Observatoires
du Francais Contemporain en Afrique Noire), and am charged with
compiling a bibliography of work, written in English, on the French
language as spoken in Africa and the Maghreb. If anybody reading this
is working in the field, or knows anybody who is, or how just happens
to have a few bibliographical references on the subject floating
around, I'd love to hear from you

Thanks

Jim Walker

Dear LINGUIST colleagues,

I would like to ask if you have information about electronic
dictionaries of English on CD-ROM. I am looking for CD-ROMs that
contain the full texts of Webster's dictionaries or other similar
dictionaries of English (i.e., electronic dictionaries containing 
both lexical items and the full definitions in text). I have heard 
that there is such a CD-ROM for the Longman Dictionary of 
Contemporary English. I would appreciate very much if you could 
point me to further information. 

Note that I am not looking for an electronic language teaching software 
that allows the learner to key in a word and get a definition. 

I will post a summary to the LINGUIST list at a later time when I
get enough information.

Sincerely

Ping Li
***********************************************************************
Ping Li 				Email: pingcogsci.richmond.edu
Department of Psychology 	http://www.urich.edu/~pli/
University of Richmond			Phone: (804) 289-8125
Richmond, VA 23173			Fax: (804) 289-8943
***********************************************************************