230294 How to Make a Dictionary (S) (SoSe 2005)

All of you have used a dictionary before. Have you ever thought of
making one yourself? In this course you will acquire the knowledge of
how to write a dictionary yourself. We will be talking about the
different kinds of dictionaries there are, and about the elements of
dictionaries. For example, we will discuss what a word is and how the
meaning of words can be described and analysed. Looking at English and
other languages, we will investigate how words are formed, that is which
parts they consist of, and you will look at formal and efficient ways of
representing lexicon information.

Goals
How to Make a Dictionary deals with the construction of the lexicon for
the English language, covering word formation, lexciography and
semantics. The students understanding of the structure, design and
construction of both print and electronic dictionaries is supposed to be
broadened. Knowledge of the lexical differences of varieties of English
is included.

Course plan
This course will provide essential insights and introduction to the
following linguistic areas: morphology, semantics, lexicography, lexicon
theory and (linguistic) data modelling.

Qualifications
As this class is obligatory you can get three credit points, based on
active participation, presentations and the final exam. For exchange
students of other universities that is the equivalent of four ECTS
points.