Article

Name: Conceptualizing the digitalization of the Ulch-Russian dictionary

Authors: Viktoriya A. Gorbunova

Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

In the section Linguistics

Abstract:

This paper addresses the challenges of converting print-based lexicographical materials to a digital format. The organizational structure of the Ulch-Russian bilingual dictionary has been previously examined. However, the author argues that eliminating the constraints inherent in analog formats allows for the data to be grouped and allocated in such a manner as to facilitate better comprehension. On the macro-level, the landing page is designed to take the form of a reference guide presenting basic word information and hyperlinks to full dictionary entries. The micro-level modifications are detailed by the author when moving from zone to zone. Specifically, the labeling is reorganized into blocks corresponding to different levels of linguistic information to provide a logically coherent presentation. Cross-references are listed within a designated area of the screen, creating a comprehensive overview of the word’s relationship with other lexical units. Attention is also paid to the peculiar features of the language that affect the format of entries. For example, it is necessary to provide the extended context for lexemes denoting cultural entities that may be unfamiliar to the user and require advanced knowledge of the traditional household routines, religious rituals, and mythology of the Ulch people. Aids in the form of overlaying text or direct hyperlinks combined with brief textual commentaries are intended to facilitate a smooth cognitive process. Another specific feature is addressing grammatically ambiguous units that require a customized entry page design that represents their unique properties.

Keywords: Ulch language, Ulch-Russian dictionary, bilingual dictionary, virtual dictionary, digitalization

Bibliography:

Boldyrev B. V. Morfologiya evenkiyskogo yazyka [Morphology of the Evenki language]. Novosibirsk, 2007, 932 p.

Gorbunova V. A. Printsipy slovarnogo opisaniya ul’chskogo yazyka [Principles of lexicographic coverage of the Ulch language]. Kritika i Semiotika (Critique and Semiot-ics). 2022, no. 2, pp. 128–141. DOI 10.25205/2307-1737-2022-2-128-141.

Ozolinya L. V. O sostavlenii dvuyazychnykh slovarej (na materiale russko-orokskogo slovarya) [On compiling the corpora of bilingual dictionaries (based on Russian-Orok dicitonary)]. Sibirskii Filologicheskii Zhurnal (Siberian Journal of Philology). 2018, no. 2, pp. 185–195.

Sunik O. P. Ul’chskiy yazyk: issledovaniya i materialy [The Ulch language: studies and materials]. Leningrad, 1985, 263 p.