Defining “definition”
What are the main kinds of information in a dictionary?
Types of lexical information in dictionary entries:
1. FORM (c.f. appearance): Information on the spelling and pronunciation of an entry.
2. STRUCTURE (c.f. formulation): Information on the construction of words, on their place
in sentences and larger constructions.
3. CONTENT (c.f. meaning): Practical information in form of definitions, relations of
words and examples
Another type of information one may find in a dictionary is the METADATA, a list of information about the production of the dictionary. Information on the author and publishing house may be useful for dictionary identification.
Defining “definition” and explanation”
→The difference between a definition and an explanation
A definition is: A statement giving the exact meaning of a word or phrase;
definitions of the type definiens, definiendum are given in dictionaries
An explanation is: The action or process of explaining s.th.; a statement, fact, circumstance
that explains s.th.; explanations are used in encyclopaedias
What is the kind of information which dictionary users are generally interested in?
A standard dictionary definition consists of a definition by the nearest kind and its specific differences. To describe the nearest kind and the specific differences we use the Latin terminology of genus proximum and differentia specifica:
.......X....... is a.......... Y......... kind of..... Z
....... ↑....................... ↑......................... ↑
definiendum differentia specifica genus proximum
For example:
Baby: a very young child, especially one who has not yet learned to speak or walk
...................↑...............↑
differentia specifica genus proximum
to babble: to say or talk quickly and foolishly or in a way that is hard to understand
Modification: → to babble is a quickly and foolish kind of talk
..............................↑........................ ↑ ........................ ...↑
.............................X .........Y (differentia specifica) .......Z (genus proximum)
Find definitions of 5 different words of different parts of speech and
- give examples of genus proximum and differentia specifica
- give examples of other kinds of definition
*legend: - italic: genus proximum
.............-bold italic: differentia specifica
(1) Noun
donkey: an animal of the horse family with short legs and long ears.
......................↑ ....................↑
...genus proximum .....differentia specifica
(2) Verb
....genus proximum ...differentia specifica
...............↑...................... ↑
run: to move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.
(3) Personal Pronoun
I: pers pron (used as the subject of a v) the person who is the speaker or writer.
.........↑.......................................................................... ↑
genus proximum .................................................differentia specifica
(4) Demonstrative Pronoun
............genus proximum .......................................................differentia specifica
........................↑.............................................................................. ...↑
this: is used to refer to a person, a thing, a place or an event that is close to the speaker or writer, especially when compared with another.
(5) Conjunction
.....................genus proximum ........................differentia specifica
.................................↑............................................... ↑
but: often used to introduce a word or phrase contrasting with or qualifing what has gone before.
(6) Adjective
black: of the very darkest colour; the opposite of white.
................................↑..........↑
..........differentia specifica .genus proximum
(7) Adverb
Happily: adv in a satisfied and contend way.
.................↑............... ↑
genus proximum differentia specifica
Other kinds of definition:
(1) Ostensive definition
→ to define a word by showing/ demonstrating
circle: this is a circle → O
(2) Contextual definition
→ to explain something by putting words into a context, to show how to use a word in a
::::context
pet: An animal or a bird kept as a companion and treated with care and affection:
::::::::They have many pets, including three cats.
(3) Recursive definition
→ a definition that refers to itself and defines a indefinite number of things. It consists of a base condition,
....recursive condition and an exclusive condition:
ancestor: a parent or parent of an ancestor
.....................↑ ...................↑
........base condition....... recursive condition
exclusive condition: nothing else but an ancestor
(4) Model
→ an illustration that is supposed to show a simplified representation of the reality
....for example: a drawing of a human being as a symbol of a segment of reality
posted by Melanie Zahn @ 10:53 AM
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