Electronic dictionaries in the information age: Examples of solutions in dictionaries of Croatian and other languages

Abstract

Electronic lexicography is a branch of lexicography that deals with theoretical and practical aspects of online dictionaries, additionally encompassing encyclopedias, lexicons, glossaries, terminological repositories, and other online information tools. From the user’s perspective, electronic dictionaries offer fast access, entries enriched with new types of information such as sounds and images as well as links to other software featuring embedded teaching and learning, games, etc. From the lexicographic perspective, e-dictionaries overcome limitations of alphabetical ordering as well as those of linear text by supplying entries with links and the show less/more functionality.

However, despite these advantages, not all national lexicographies offer a wide range of born-digital dictionaries. In response to this, contemporary e-lexicography seeks to offer solutions to the challenges arising from the seemingly ideal digital conditions, including the danger of overwhelming the user with an abundance of unstructured data leading to the loss of information. E-lexicography also seeks to answer the question of what lexicographers can do to induce users to obtain information from dictionaries rather than from online databases or fast search engines.

This article provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art in electronic lexicography from a theoretical and technological perspective. It starts by presenting the main theoretical postulates related to the features of e-dictionaries and electronic lexicography theory. On the one hand, electronic lexicography is based on existing lexicographic theory with its linguistic underpinnings, where dictionary microstructure crucially depends on the lexicographer’s practice. On the other hand, it involves technological, functional and aesthetic aspects of creating a digital dictionary. The overview is followed by examples from electronic dictionaries of Croatian and other languages illustrating how the challenges of the information age and of balancing all the features of e-lexicography with user needs may be addressed. The article concludes that current lexicographic practice in creating dictionaries and other lexicographic tools is turned towards keeping up with rapid technological developments and social needs.