Critical Analysis of English-Latvian Lexicographic Tradition

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Critical Analysis of English-Latvian Lexicographic Tradition University of Latvia Faculty of Humanities Laura Karpinska CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH-LATVIAN LEXICOGRAPHIC TRADITION ANGĻU-LATVIEŠU LEKSIKOGRĀFISKĀS TRADĪCIJAS KRITISKA ANALĪZE Doctoral Thesis Scientific Adviser: Dr. philol. Jeļena Dorošenko Rīga 2012 Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 1 Types of Bilingual Dictionaries, Their Functions and Users’ Needs........... 10 1.1 Dictionary Typologies Focusing on Bilingual Dictionaries ...................................... 11 1.1.1 Ščerba’s Typology.............................................................................................. 11 1.1.2 Zgusta’s Typology.............................................................................................. 15 1.1.3. Al-Kasimi’s Typology....................................................................................... 17 1.1.4 Yong and Peng’s Typology................................................................................ 19 1.2 Functions of Bilingual Dictionaries Based on Users’ Needs .................................... 21 1.2.1 Users of Bilingual Dictionaries and Their Needs............................................... 21 1.2.2 Functions of Bilingual Dictionaries (Active and Passive Dictionaries) ............. 23 1.2.2.1 Metalanguage and Information Types in Active vs. Passive Dictionaries .. 25 1.2.2.2. Number of Bilingual Dictionaries per Language Pair – in Theory and Practice .................................................................................................................... 26 1.3 Structure of Analysis for Detecting the Intended Function(s) of General ELDs ...... 29 CHAPTER 2 Primary and Secondary Sources of Evidence in Bilingual Lexicography ... 31 2.1 Citation Files, Their Advantages and Disadvantages................................................ 32 2.2 Text Corpora.............................................................................................................. 34 2.2.1 Types of Corpora Applied in Bilingual Lexicography....................................... 36 2.2.1.1 Monolingual Reference Corpora ................................................................. 36 2.2.1.1.1 Corpus Size........................................................................................... 37 2.2.1.1.2 Corpus Representativeness and Balance .............................................. 39 2.2.1.2 Translation and Comparable Parallel Corpora ............................................ 40 2.2.2 Use of Corpus Evidence in Bilingual Lexicography.......................................... 43 2.2.2.1 Monolingual Reference Corpora ................................................................. 45 2.2.2.1.1 Pre-dictionary Database........................................................................ 47 2.2.2.1.2 Corpus Analysis Software .................................................................... 50 2.2.2.2 Bilingual Parallel Corpora........................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 3 Structural Levels of Bilingual Dictionaries.................................................. 54 3.1 Megastructure of Bilingual Dictionaries ................................................................... 59 3.1.1 Classification of Outside Matter Components.................................................... 61 3.1.2 Framework of Megastructural Analysis of ELDs............................................... 64 3.2 Macrostructure of Bilingual Dictionaries.................................................................. 65 3.2.1 Building of the Headword List ........................................................................... 66 3.2.2 Form and Presentation of the Headwords .......................................................... 68 3.2.3 Treatment of Polysemy vs. Homonymy............................................................. 71 1 3.2.4 Framework of Macrostructural Analysis of ELDs ............................................. 74 3.3 Microstructure of Bilingual Dictionaries................................................................... 75 3.3.1 TL Equivalents in Bilingual Dictionaries........................................................... 81 3.3.2 Classification of Equivalents in Bilingual Lexicography................................... 84 3.3.3 Examples in Bilingual Entries ............................................................................ 90 3.3.4 Types and Sections of Microstructure................................................................ 99 3.3.5 Framework of Microstructural Analysis of ELDs............................................ 101 CHAPTER 4 Development of Latvian Bilingual and Multilingual Lexicography.......... 103 4.1 Development of Latvian Bilingual Lexicography Before the Publication of.......... 103 the First ELD ................................................................................................................. 103 4.2 Development of English-Latvian Lexicographic Tradition .................................... 111 4.2.1 ELDs Published in Latvia (1924–1940) ........................................................... 114 4.2.2 ELDs Published after WWII in Refugee Camps (1945–1947) ........................ 121 4.2.3 ELDs Published in Latvia and Abroad (1948–1990) ....................................... 128 4.2.4 ELDs Published after Regaining of Independence (1991) up to the Present Day ................................................................................................................................... 137 CHAPTER 5 Analysis of Structural Levels of English-Latvian Dictionaries ................. 147 5.1 Megastructural Analysis of ELDs ........................................................................... 147 5.2 Macrostructural Analysis of ELDs .......................................................................... 159 5.3 Microstructural Analysis of ELDs........................................................................... 172 CHAPTER 6 Guidelines for a Model of General Bilingual ELD Corresponding to the Latest Developments in Contemporary Bilingual Lexicography...................................... 190 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 197 Bibliography...................................................................................................................... 201 Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 213 Appendix 1 ........................................................................................................................ 213 Appendix 3 ........................................................................................................................ 220 Appendix 4 ........................................................................................................................ 224 Appendix 5 ........................................................................................................................ 233 Appendix 6 ........................................................................................................................ 240 2 Introduction The English-Latvian lexicographic tradition started in 1924 with the publication of the first general English-Latvian dictionary (ELD) compiled by Dravnieks. It was followed by nearly thirty dictionaries1 of various sizes and structural complexity (excluding the repeated editions) up to 2007, when the latest general ELD was published. At the present moment English-Latvian lexicography is ruled by a stable and well- established tradition, determining the features of the dictionaries’ mega-, macro- and microstructure. However, this is also the reason for a certain stagnation resulting in an inability or unwillingness to apply the latest developments in contemporary lexicographic practice. Even though the volume of the lexicographic material is ample, the dictionaries are often compiled using obsolete methods and outdated lexicographic evidence. When describing the present-day bilingual dictionaries Atkins ([1996] 2002) claims that some of the more innovative dictionaries may introduce some new types of information but what concerns giving pronunciations, usage notes, translation equivalents, illustrative examples, idioms, etc., they are very traditional. She comes to the conclusion that “the dictionary of the present is at heart little different from the dictionary of the past” (Atkins [1996] 2002, 1). This description can obviously be applied to ELDs which can be viewed as traditional in many of the above mentioned microstructural aspects. ELDs have not been affected by such typical feature of modern lexicography as the use of corpus evidence that could have a positive impact on all structural levels of these dictionaries. The general ELDs analysed in this study have been selected according to the following criteria: a bilingual dictionary of two national languages (English and Latvian) where the lexical items of the source language are supplied with translation equivalents in the target language; with a general macrostructure and microstructure; the entry words are alphabetically arranged; it is available in printed form. This description of a bilingual dictionary allows excluding specialized dictionaries, explanatory bilingual dictionaries, dictionaries with headword
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