English Dictionaries and Databases in...

English Dictionaries and

Databases in Japan

YAMADA Shigeru

Waseda University

[email protected]

Lexicographie et terminologie à l’Observatoire de linguistique Sens-Texte

June 7, 2010

Outline

1 Introduction

2 English Dictionaries in Japan

3 English Databases in Japan

4 Summing up and looking forward

2 English Dictionaries in Japan

2.1 Overview

2.2 Handheld electronic dictionaries

2.2.1 Market share

2.2.2 General features

2.2.3 Fourteen important functions

2.2.4 Merits and shortcomings

2.2.5 Impact on Japan‟s dictionary

compilation

2.1 Kinds of English dictionaries used:

927 1st-year commerce students

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

None

Not clear

Other

Print

Both

Electronic

(Yamada 2009)

2.2. Handheld electronic dictionary

2.2.1 Market share

Casio 50.7%Sharp 31.5Canon 9.4Seiko Instrument Inc. 8.2Others 0.3

(BCN Ranking 2007)

Sony pulled out in 2006.

2.2.2 General features

Casio: XD-A9800

• 2010 model for univ students

• 395 CAD

• 120 ref. & other works

• 300 Japanese / 100 world literature in English trans.

• Famous speeches

• National examinations

• [One Mil-Word] Comprehensive Database of Technical Terminology

http://casio.jp/exword/pro

ducts/XD-A9800/

High-resolution color display

http://casio.jp/exword/feature/hardware_9/

Can highlight and pen in in color

Things possible with print dictionaries

http://casio.jp/exword/feature/hardware_9/

Sharp: PW-GC610

• 2010 model for senior

high students

• 268 CAD

• Helps school study

and entrance exams

• Download and watch

popular classes at a

famous college

preparatory school

http://www.sharp.co.jp/brain/lineup/pw-gc610/

Canon: V330

• 2010 model for

senior high students

• 256 CAD

• Eijoro – 1.7 mil-word

E-J/J-E database

http://cweb.canon.jp/wordtank/lineup/wordtank/study/v330/index.html

SII: SR-G10001• 2009 model for English professionals

• 540 CAD

• Oxford Sentence Dictionary (OSD): 1 mil

examples from Oxford English Corpus (2

bil words)

• Computer manipulable

http://www.sii.co.jp/c

p/products/english/s

rg10001/index.html

Oxford Sentence Dictionary (OSD)

• Only available in SR-G10001

• 1 mil examples from Oxford English

Corpus (2 bil words)

• Additional examples collected after 2000

to illustrate unillustrated entries in Oxford

Dictionary of English

(Sekiyama 2010)

Look up “MRI”

• SR-E10000:

5 mil-word Wordbank (from Bank of Eng.)

3 examples

• SR-G10001:

OSD with 1 mil examples

79 examples

(ibid.)

Development of

example search functionsSR8000 (1999): First example search;

run search on the examples of the included dictionaries by entering key words

SR-E10000 (2005): Wordbank (5 mil words < BoE), Example search with word order designated

SR-G10000 (2006): search examples in EJDs on the basis of J words;

results displayed with the key word in the middle

SR-G10001 (2009): Attribute-specific search with OSD

(ibid.)

Attribute-specific search with OSD

You can specify:

• Mode (spoken, written edited/unedited)

• Dialect (American, British, Canadian, etc.)

• Domain (fiction, law, medicine, news, etc.)

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/english/srg10001/page02.html

Other contents• Standard:

- Encyclopedias

- Language learning materials (TOEIC®, etc.)

- Travel phrase books

- Maps

• Unique:

- Calculation drills to sharpen adults' brains

- Pension calculator

- Recipes

- Sake handbook http://casio.jp/exword/feature/reference_20/

Recent trends

• User-/purpose-specification

- Junior high/senior high/univ students,

adults

- Language/law/medical/business

professionals/students

Databases into

handheld electronic dictionaries

• Eijiro (1.7 mil-word E-J/J-E database)

(in Canon‟ V330)

• 1.8 Mil-Word E-J/J-E Databases

(in SII‟ SR-G8000)

• [1 Mil-Word] Comprehensive Database of

Technical Terminology

(in Casio‟ XD-A9800)

2.2.3 Fourteen important functions

1) Fuzzy search

• Enables you to consult a word whose

spelling you are not quite sure about

• Use “?” or “*” for the part of the word you

are not sure about

• Student usage rate: 35.8%

http://www.sii.co.jp

/cp/products/functi

on/func21.html

2)"Jump" search

• Highlight a word in the dictionary text,

and you can instantly look up the word

in another dictionary included in the same

electronic machine.

• 94.3%

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/

function/func12.html

3) Multiple-dictionary headword

search

• Enables you to consult the relevant

included dictionaries simultaneously

• Especially useful for peripheral items

• 64.2%

Look up “form book” in SII‟ SR-G10000

✓ EJD for the General Reader

✓ Genius Unabridged EJD

✕ ODE

✕ COBUILD

Multi-dictionary Headword Search

Saves the user:

• the time and energy to consult several

dictionaries one at a time

• (the trouble to work out which dictionaries

to consult in the most effective order)

• many disappointments of a fruitless search

4) Phrase search

Casio©

• 84.9%

5) Example search

• Comb through examples of the relevant

included dictionaries, in search of the

examples which include the key words you

entered

• Especially helpful for phrases

• 75.5%

Example search

• Provides a quick route to meaning

(examples from an EJD come with the

translations)

• Does not require the knowledge of

- parts-of-speech,

- grammar, and

- dictionary structures

Example search

Which word would you look up?

“… with so much going for you, your

negativeness about this opportunity leaves

me somewhat shaken ….”

(Kingsley Ward, G. 1985.

Letters of a Businessman to his Son.)

Enter only “much&going&for”

Genius Unabridged EJD

Example search

You have so much going for you in the way of education.

君は教育の点で強みがたいへん多い

• Entering the appropriate words provides the user with relevant examples including the words and the meanings (translations) of the examples

• Grammatical analysis is not required

6) Example search

with word order designated

• You can designate word order in example

search, so that you can retrieve only the

examples with the key words in the order

you typed them.

• 7.5%

http://casio.jp/exword/feature/reference_12/

7) Accessing EJD by Japanese

• Turn the English-

Japanese dictionary

on its head.

• You can use

Japanese to access

English headwords.

• 15.1%


8) Accessing English examples

by Japanese

• You can use Japanese words to access

the English examples whose translations

include those Japanese key words.

• 7.5%

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/function/func39.html

9) Word register function

• You can register words you consulted in

the memory, so that you can review them.

• 39.6%

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/function/func23.html

10) Backtracking

• The handheld electronic dictionary records

100-1,000 words you consulted, so that

you can access them for a second time

without typing them again.

• 92.5%


11) Touch panel

• You can write in both Japanese and

English words with the accompanying pen

to consult the words.

• 32.1%


12) Pronunciation in human voice

• The dictionary provides audio recordings.

• 67.9%

13) Split screen

• You can split the

screen and

show two dictionaries

simultaneously.

• 7.5%

CASIO©

14) Character size change

• 49.1%

CASIO©

Summary

• “Jump” search: 94.3%

• Backtracking: 92.5

• Phrase search: 84.9

• Accessing E ex by J: 7.5

• Split screen: 7.5

• Ex search with WO designated: 7.5

Handheld EDs are not fully exploited.

Better electronic dictionary use

Can be achieved by:

• Users‟ effort (supported by instruction):

especially, classroom instruction to inform

and train students to become proficient

users of electronic dictionaries

• Manufactures‟ effort:

make sophistication compatible with user-

frinendliness

2.2.4 Merits and shortcomings

“Portable Reference Shelf”

• Ease of reference

• Speed of reference

• Flexibility of reference

• Portability

• Versatility

• Self-sufficiency

Made possible by electronic presentation and search methods

• Screen is too small.

• Difficult to use

• Expensive

• Can break

• Electricity

consumption

• Not customized:

contents and

functions

Wider yet restricted choice

Restricted choice:

• User factors

• Manufacturer factors

Restricted choice

User factors:

• High concentration on the use of J, E-J, and J-E dictionaries

• Reluctant to spend money on the electronic dictionary:

- Continue to use high school students‟ models after entering univ

- Reluctant to pay to add new dictionaries

Restricted choice

Manufacturer factors:

The combination of dictionaries included in a handheld dictionary is not satisfactory for all users.

• To maximize their sales, all manufacturers incorporate:

1) Brand-name/best-selling dictionaries

2) Dictionaries easy to include

2.2.5 Impact on Japan‟s dictionary

compilation

Sales

• Print dictionaries

• Handheld electronic dictionaries

Asahi Simbun (Newspaper),

July. 19, 2009

“Online Revolution”

Asahi Shimbun [newspaper](10/02/04)

• Electronic dictionaries outsold paper ones

in 2003.

• [Dictionary] Publishers receive only token

fees for providing electronic dictionary

data, ranging from less than 100 yen [0.85

CAD] to less than 1,000 yen per unit

shipped

Ikuko Takano, manager of electronic

publishing at Sanseido Corporation

“We will not be able to finance updates of

existing [paper] dictionaries or

compilations of new ones if things remain

unchanged.''

(IHT/Asahi: June 2, 2005)

Japan‟s dictionary compilation:

stagnation

• Print dictionaries:

- Sales declining

- Revision intervals widening

• Handheld electronic

dictionaries:

- Reached saturation

point

- Depend contents on

print dictionaries

Lexicographers: endangered spices

Two types of hopefuls

• Dictionary

consultation has been

in among elementary

school kids.

• Techno-savvy whiz

kids

3 English Databases in Japan

3.1 Eijro (1.7 mil entries)

3.2 1.8 Mil-Word E-J/J-E Databases

3.3 [One Mil-Word] Comprehensive

Database of Technical Terminology

3.1 Eijiro

• a bilingual English-Japanese database

• On the web: free of charge <http://www.alc.co.jp/>; CD-ROM (5th ed., 2010, 28 CAD)

• compiled over 20 years by a group of professional translators known as EDP (Electronic Dictionary Project)

• growing at a rate of 10,000 words per month

• 1.72 million E-J entries (Eijiro, 5th ed. 2010: 13)

• 2.07 million J-E entries (http://www.eijiro.jp/e/index.htm)

Eijiro

• aims to be the most comprehensive dictionary,

covering the range from everyday to technical

vocabulary and providing practical and useful

phrases and examples (Eijiro, 5th ed. 2010: 13)

• Evolved from a database format intended mainly

for professionals into a popularly used dictionary

structure, displaying dictionary-like

characteristics: numbered sense discriminations,

and grammar and usage annotations.

Example search

Consult the underlined part in Eijoro:

The industry could be forgiven for thinking

that when it comes to brand extension,

anything goes.

(Claire Cozens. “Brand New World.” The

Guardian, 11/03/02)

Example search

・You could be forgiven for thinking

～と考えるのも無理はない。

• You can confirm that it is an idiomatic expression

• You come across the kind of translation that ordinary people can not come up with from totaling up the meanings of the words involved.

Flexible collocation search

What is the appropriate adjective?

本格中華

(real?) Chinese dish

Two approaches to collocation

search

• ↓ Paradigmatic relations

(e.g. consult 本格 in a JED for the

synonyms)

• → Syntagmatic relations

(e.g. consult “dish” in a collocation

dictionary for collocates)


• You can enter a combination of Japanese and

English “本格 dish”.

• The dictionary cross-searches the database

– the Japanese component by 本格 and the

English component by “dish” –

to bring an example which includes both 本格and

dish.


・本格的な中華料理を出す

serve authentic Chinese dishes

• Combines paradigmatic and syntagmatic

approaches

• Offers a reliable and sophisticated method

of collocation search

Shortcomings of Eijiro

• EPD takes no responsibility for the content

of the data. Users are to judge the

accuracy, reliability, usefulness,

appropriateness, up-to-dateness, etc. of

the data at their own risk (Eijiro, 5th ed.

2010: 2).

• Haphazard approach: adding info as they

go along

3.2

1.8 Mil-Word E-J/J-E Databases

• Nichigai Associates, Inc.: a database company

• Established in 1965

• Accumulates, documents, and provides

information on literature, people, incidents,

terminology, etc.

• 1986 NICHIGAI ASSIST (online info provision)

• 1997 NICHIGAI/WEB Service (flat fixed rate)

• 1999 WEB/NICHIGAI ASSIST (pay as you go)

http://www.nichigai.co.jp/info/index.html

Way to 1.8 Million

• Inter Press Corporation:

• 1979: 40,000 words

• 1983: 250,000 words (each): E-J 1,927 pp. / J-E 1,888 pp.; 103 CAD (each)

• 1990: 350,000 words (each): E-J 2,073 pp. /J-E 1,767 pp.

• Nichigai Associates:

• 2001: 450,000 words (each): E-J 2,158 pp. / J-E 2,170 pp.; 376 CAD (each): E-J/J-E CD-ROM 447 CAD

• 2002: 1.3 mil words; CD-ROM; 1,059 CAD (science & technology+biomedicine+business)

• 2003: 1.8 mil words; CD-ROM; 1,211 CAD

Genres

• Thermal power generation（JIS） approx.4,300 terms

• NASA abbreviations 300

• Aerospace 4,000

• Genetics (academic) 9,200

• Biotechnology (JIS） 1,300

• Medicine, biology 32,500

• Automotives 11,800

• Chemistry (academic) 13,100

• Spinning machinery（JIS） 800 Adapted from:

http://www.sii.co.jp/cp/products/english/srg8000/page02.html

Translation:

ABACA Manila hemp [chemistry]

<98LO204-1: textile term (material section)

– Part 1: natural fiber>

JIS [Japanese Industrial Standards]

terms

3.3 [One Mil-Word] Comprehensive

Database of Technical Terminology

“The CJK Dictionary Institute maintains a comprehensive Japanese-English bilingual, bidirectional database of over 1,000,000 technical terms covering a broad spectrum of fields ranging from computer science to biotechnology.”

http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

Database Applications

• Machine translation dictionaries

• Information retrieval applications for accurate term recognition and indexing

• NLP tools like morphological analyzers and tokenizers

• Handheld electronic dictionaries

• In CD-ROM format, as in Logovista's Electronic Dictionary Series

• Smart phone applications

http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

List of Domains

Terms verified / to be verified

A Computer/IT 126,045 / 224,350

B Electricity/Electronics 50,838 / 83,543

C Physics, Nuclear engineering 12,916 / 15,342

D Mechanical Engineering 99,898 / 175,624

E Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry118,609 / 198,338

G Civil Engineering 22,366 / 43,269

H Metallurgy 14,640 / 26,029

I Geology, Astronomy 29,560 / 42,466

…

Total 1,002,015 / 1,567,122

Adapted from: http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

Sample of Japanese-English

Technical Terms

Japanese Reading English

アカンサスアカンサス acanthus

酸腐食サンフショク acid corrosion

アエロライトアエロライト aerolite

大気中放射線タイキチュウホウシャセン air radiation

非晶質鉱物ヒショウシツコウブツ amorphous mineral

アンカー爪アンカーツメ anchor fluke

Adapted from: http://www.cjk.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm

Casio: XD-GF10000

Look up “透過” („permeation‟)

透過

penetration«電気・電子»«物理・原子力»«化学・工業化学»«土木・建設»«金属»«地学・天文»«生命科学»

percolation«農林水産»

permeation«物理・原子力»«機械»«化学・工業化学»«金属»«生命科学»«医学・薬学»

transmission«電気・電子»«物理・原子力»«機械»

«化学・工業科学»«土木・建築»«金属»«地学・天文»«生命科学»«医学・薬学»«環境»

transparency«情報処理»

4 Summing up and looking forward

• Proposal for: A dictionary-cum-database

4.1 A case of EFL dictionary

4.2 Electronic revolution

4.3 A case of handheld electronic dictionary

4.4 Possible future developments

4.1 A case of EFL dictionary

“Dual-Track Approach” by Macmillan ED

• 7.500 words: for reception and production

• Less frequent words: for reception

“This „dual-track‟ approach has great benefits for

the user: productive vocabulary is described in

depth, while the brevity of „receptive‟ entries

enables us to include much more vocabulary of

this type.” (“Introduction,” v)

Shortcomings of EFL dictionaries

• Intended for the global market

• Offer limited help for production

- less frequent words

- multi-word lexical items

• Productive EFL dictionaries provide too selective information.

4.2 Electronic revolution

• Boundaries between dictionaries lowered.

• Dictionaries can be put to different uses than originally intended.

- Distinction between receptive and productive dictionaries makes less sense.

However, it is questionable:

Materials prepared for reception are readily useful for production.

4.3 A case of handheld electronic

dictionary

Casio‟s XD-A9800 supplements

a database

([One Mil-Word] Comprehensive Database of Technical Terminology)

with

a J-E specialized dictionary

(New J-E Dictionary of Natural Science).

New Japanese-English Dictionary

of Natural Science

• Revised & enlarged ed. 2009

• Ogura Shoten

• 153,000 words and examples

• 395 CAD

透過transmission; permeation; penetration

• 正透過

regular transmission;

direct transmission

• 透過型蛍光計

a transmission type

fluorometer

• 透過型コンピューター

断層撮影法

transmission computed

tomography

¶透過写真上に溶接部の欠陥

と紛らわしい陰影が生じない

よう注意する。

Care should be taken not to

cause shadow liable to be

confused with weld defects

on the photograph.

¶水が水深10m位まで透過す

る。

Light penetrates to a depth

of about 10 meters.

Why not merge them?:

A dictionary-cum-database

• Vast amounts of info are available.

• Users‟ purposes/preferences are variegated.

- Some need guidance on usage and examples

but others are only after exquivalents.

Arrangements should be made for necessary info

to be selected.

Keys to the future developments

• Organization/classification

• Presentation

• Adaptation

- incl. bilingualization

Two types of synonym dictionary

cumulative synonymy A SYNONYM

DICTIONARY or thesaurus in which

expressions of similar meanings are listed

and classified into semantic groups

without definitions or SENSE

DISCRIMINATION.

→ DISTINCTIVE SYNONYMY

(Hartmann and James 1998)

Lexicographers and terminologists

should join forces.

References (1)

• Hartmann, R. R. K. and Gregory James. 1998. Dictionary of Lexicography. London: Routledge.

• Murata, Minoru, et al. 2007. “Kokoseiyo Denshijiho oyobi Eigojujitsugata no Daigakusei Ippan Shakaijinyo Denshijisho ni tsuite no Hikakukenkyu [A Comparative Study of Hand-held Electronic Dictionaries for High School Students and for University Students and Adults with Advanced English Contents].” Wayo Joshi Daigaku Kiyo [Wayo Women’s University Journal], No. 47. 71-92.

References (2)

• Rundell, Michael, ed. 2002. Macmillan English Dictionary. 1st ed. Oxford: Macmillan.

• Yamada, Shigeru. Forthcoming. “Electronic Revolution in Dictionary Consultation:Hand-held Electronic, Online, and CD-ROM Reference Tools in Japan.” Ed. Zhang, Yihua. Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Lexicography and L2 Teaching and Learning, Guangzhou, China. Shanghai: Shanghai Commercial Press.

• Yamada, Shigeru. 2009. “Dictionary Use by Japanese College Students of English between 1997 and 2009.” The 6th Biennial Conference of the Asian Association for Lexicography. Imperial Queen‟s Park Hotel (Bangkok). Aug. 20-22．

Asialex 2011 Kyoto

The 7th biennial conference of

the Asian Association for Lexicography

Kyoto, Japan

Tentative date: August 22-24, 2011

http://www.asialex.org/

http://www.asialex.org/

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