LINGUIST List 14.2980

Fri Oct 31 2003

Diss: Lexicography: Mavoungou: 'Metalexico...'

Editor for this issue: Takako Matsui <takolinguistlist.org>

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  • moudika2, Metalexicographical Criteria

    Message 1: Metalexicographical Criteria

     Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 22:36:20 +0000
    From: moudika2 <moudika2yahoo.fr>
    Subject: Metalexicographical Criteria


    Institution: University of Stellenbosch Program: Department of Afrikaans and Dutch Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2003

    Author: Paul Achille Mavoungou

    Dissertation Title: Metalexicographical Criteria for the Compilation of a Trilingual Dictionary: Yilumbu-English-French

    Linguistic Field: Lexicography

    Subject Language: French (code: FRN), English (code: ENG), Lumbu (code: LUP)

    Subject Language Family: French Subgroup (code: ), English (code: )

    Dissertation Director 1: Rufus H. Gouws

    Dissertation Abstract:

    In this dissertation the author used the theoretical framework of the German metalexicographer Wiegand as a basis to devise a model for Yilumbu-English-French trilingual dictionary, directed at the specific needs and reference skills of the target users. The model makes provision for innovative procedures regarding the structure and contents of the dictionary, with a focus on the treatment of culture-specific lexical items.

    Chapter 1 gives an overview of Wiegand's General Theory of Lexicography as well as some aspects of lexicographic processes, dictionary typology and the structure of dictionaries followed by a survey of lexicographic activities in Gabon. On account of what already exists, this chapter will help the reader see why the choice was made to develop a theoretical model for a trilingual dictionary.

    Chapter 2 discusses various issues related to the target user groups of the planned dictionary, their reference skills, and some aspects of dictionary use as well as a number of macro- and microstructural problems.

    Chapter 3 focuses on a number of ways the planned dictionary could promote the standardization of the Yilumbu language.

    Chapter 4 discusses the contents and presentation of all the data that will be included in the outer texts in the frame structure of the planned dictionary. Priority is given to the so-called integrated outer text as opposed to non-integrated outer texts.

    In chapter 5, the macrostructure of the work is discussed to establish what should be included in the planned dictionary and what should not. This chapter shows that all types of lexical items, including multiword lexical items, should be given lemma status in the planned dictionary. Moreover all items should ideally be included according to the word tradition and on account of their usage frequency in the corpus and orthographical problems should be solved in accordance with the needs and reference skills of the target users. Apart from these aspects, types of dialectal forms as well as the type of special-field lexical items to be lemmatized in the planned dictionary are also discussed in this chapter. As far as the treatment of e.g. technical terms is concerned, it is the ultimate goal of the present Gabonese Government to promote Science and Technology in the vernaculars of the people of Gabon.

    Chapter 6 focuses on the microstructure of the planned dictionary. In this chapter, after presenting different types of microstructures, it is shown that an integrated microstructure is most suitable to enhance the retrievability of the information on the part of the users. This chapter also investigates different kinds of data types to be considered for inclusion in the microstructure of the planned dictionary.

    In Chapter 7 the access structure of the planned dictionary is discussed. In this chapter, the focus is on various type of devices, typographic and non-typographic structural indicators as well as the use of equivalent registers, to enhance the accessibility of the data and give the work a truly poly-functional and poly-accessible character.

    Chapter 8 will discuss the addressing structure of the planned dictionary. Since the latter is monoscopal and because of the lemmatic bias that usually prevails in such a work, the emphasis in this chapter will be on various aspects of non-lemmatic addressing procedures that will shift the focus from the source to the target languages.

    Chapter 9 discusses the mediostructure and textual condensation in the planned dictionary. Explicit and consistent cross-referencing, the non-use of substitution symbols, explicit labelling, etc. are claimed to be best suited to capture the needs and reference skills of the target groups.