LEXICOLOGY & LEXICOGRAPHY READING GROUP 24.04

Thursday 24th April, at 5 pm in room 102A

The speaker will be: prof. UAM dr hab. Robert Lew

Towards variable function-dependent sense ordering in future dictionaries

The presentation will focus on the relationship between sense ordering and the primary function of the dictionary, arguing that the former should reflect the latter. I give suggestions as to how this could be achieved in practice, and which sense ordering would best serve the different functions. I also propose that we move beyond static sense ordering in electronic polyfunctional dictionaries of the future, to dynamically adjust the ordering to the currently dominant function. Another future possibility that I explore is that Artificial Inteligence systems in electronic lexicographic products could conceivably monitor specific users' lookup behaviour and thus customize sense ordering on an individual user basis, for example by deprioritizing senses known to have already been acquired by the user, when in the text reception/decoding mode. Finally, I propose a programme of research to provide a more empirical basis for the above.