TYPOLOGY OF ELECTRONIC DICTIONARIES

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to offer an approach to the typology of electronic dictionaries. To achieve this goal it is necessary to perform the following tasks: 1) analyze the typology of electronic dictionaries at the present stage of development of computer lexicography, 2) define the concept of “electronic dictionary” and analyze the characteristics to be considered in classifying electronic dictionaries; 3) propose criteria for constructing a typology of electronic dictionaries.

Methods. The work used a set of methods of theoretical research: comparative analysis of linguistic sources to determine the state of development of the research problem; methods of analysis, synthesis and systematization of different approaches to address the issue of typology of modern electronic dictionaries.

Results. The article considers different approaches of scientists to the systematization of lexicographic publications; the difference between the concepts of “typology” and “classification” of lexicographic publications is determined; the main criteria for classification of lexicographic publications are analyzed. The authors investigated the typology of electronic dictionaries; the concept of “electronic dictionary” is specified, its main features are singled out, which must be taken into account when constructing the typology of electronic dictionaries.

Conclusions. Summarizing the authors’ proposals on the typology of dictionaries, the main criteria by which they are classified are determined by: the number of represented languages, function, type of word description, type of system relations between words, parameter of dictionary description unit, purpose, vocabulary organization, the field of language use, the origin of vocabulary, historical perspective, characteristics of word types, stylistic use, source of lexicography, by normative characteristics, design and detailing of information, quantitative composition of lexicographic source and volume of lexicographic information. We propose to classify electronic dictionaries according to the generally accepted parameters: 1) vocabulary, 2) number of languages, 3) purpose; 4) observance of language norms; and according to criteria specific only to computer lexicography: 1) linguistic; 2) the dichotomy “paper dictionary – electronic dictionary”; 3) the presence of terms used in one or more areas in the case of terminological dictionaries; 4) information form.