Open Access

This contribution deals with the representation of verbs with multiple meanings or senses in general monolingual dictionaries. Criteria for differentiating senses in dictionary entries have traditionally been formulated with respect to the vocabulary in general. This paper argues that, while some criteria do indeed apply to the entire lexicon, many of them are relevant only to specific semantic classes. This will be demonstrated considering two selected verb classes: speech-act verbs and perception verbs. Like verbs of other classes, speech-act verbs and perception verbs may be ambiguous in different but recurrent ways. Since recurrent patterns of ambiguity are always typical of particular semantic classes, class-specific semantic criteria are formulated to decide whether a particular ambiguous speech act or perception verb should be treated as being polysemous or homonymous in dictionary entries. In addition to these class-specific semantic criteria, the semantic-syntactic criterion of identity or difference of argument structure is suggested for the lexicographical representation of verbs which may not be considered to be polysemous or homonymous on the basis of semantic criteria alone. According to the suggested argument-structure criterion, these verbs should be treated as polysemous when their senses correlate with identical argument structures and as homonymous when their senses correlate with different argument structures properties. As opposed to the semantic criteria suggested, the semantic-syntactic criterion of identity vs. difference of argument structure applies to verbs of different semantic classes. However, as will be illustrated by the discussion of the different senses of smell, it may sometimes force us to treat different but related senses as corresponding to two distinct lexical items. In order to solve this problem, the criteria suggested are supplemented by a preference rule stating that semantic criteria apply prior to the semantic-syntactic criterion of identity vs. difference of argument structure...

This article presents empirical findings about what criteria make for a good online dictionary, using data on expectations and demands collected in an online questionnaire (N~684), complemented by additional results from a second questionnaire (N-390) which looked more closely at whether respondents had differentiated views on individual aspects of the criteria rated in the first study. Our results show that the classical criteria of reference books (such as reliability and clarity) were rated highest by our participants, whereas the unique characteristics of online dictionaries (such as multimedia and adaptability) were rated and ranked as (partly) unimportant. To verify whether or not the poor ratings of these innovative features were a result of the fact that our subjects are unfamiliar with online dictionaries incorporating such features, we incorporated an experiment into the second study. Our results revealed a learning effect: participants in the learning-effect condition, i.e. respondents who were first presented with examples of possible innovative features of online dictionaries, judged adaptability and multimedia to be more useful than participants who were not given that information. Thus, our data point to the conclusion that developing innovative features is worthwhile but that it should be borne in mind that users can only be persuaded of their benefits gradually. In addition, we present data about questions relating to the design of online dictionaries.

Dieser Band vereinigt Beiträge aus zwei Arbeitstreffen des von der DFG geforderten wissenschaftlichen Netzwerks „Internetlexikografie“ (www.internetlexikografie.de) und setzt damit die Reihe der Arbeitsberichte des Netzwerks fort. Das zweite Arbeitstreffen des Netzwerks fand am 5. und 6. Dezember 2011 in Berlin (DE) statt und hatte „Vernetzungs- und Zugriffsstrukturen bei Internetworterbüchern zum Thema. Das folgende Arbeitstreffen wurde am 3. und 4. Mai 2012 in Bozen (IT) abgehalten und beschäftigte sich mit „Aspekten der automatischen Gewinnung von lexikografischen Angaben“. Der Band enthält die Ausarbeitungen ausgewählter Beiträge der beiden Treffen. Beim zweiten Arbeitstreffen mit dem Thema „Vernetzung und Zugriffsstrukturen“ wurden Fragen für die Internetlexikografie behandelt, die für den Bereich der Printlexikografie schon recht lange diskutiert wurden, durch die Möglichkeiten des neuen Mediums, die sich am besten mit dem Stichwort „Verlinkung“ charakterisieren lassen, aber eine ganz neue Dimension erhalten. Beim Berliner Arbeitstreffen wurden verschiedene Möglichkeiten der Kodierung von Vernetzungen und ihre Onlineprasentation anhand von Beitragen zu theoretischen und praktischen Aspekten diskutiert, um zu zeigen, wie sie fur unterschiedliche Zugriffsstrukturen nutzbar gemacht werden können.