Which Defining Model Contributes to More Successful Extraction of Syntactic Class Information and Translation Accuracy? Watter definiëringsmodel dra by tot meer geslaagde onttrek-king van inligting rakende sintaktiese kategorie en vertaalakkuraatheid?

Abstract

Definitions in English monolingual learners' dictionaries are the central focus of the paper. Metalexicographers have had a consuming interest in the following three types of definitions: analytical definitions (or classical definitions), full-sentence definitions (also called contextual definitions) and single-clause when-definitions. The use of when-definitions, the role of which is to define abstract nouns, has raised questions and doubts as to their efficacy on correct part of speech recognition of the definiendum, or item being defined, in light of the problems related to the substitutability of headwords and parts of definitions (lack of general category words in this definition format). By and large, existing research has substantiated the superiority of the classical definition-type over single-clause when-definitions with respect to the accuracy of word class identification. The current experiment attempts to further delve into the subject of part of speech recognition with regard to the three aforementioned defining formats — in previous studies only data from analytical and single-clause when-definitions were collated, since contextual definitions were not included in the study design. The study was conducted on a group of 120 advanced-level Polish university students of English. The subjects were tested on their ability of correct extraction of syntactic class information and translation accuracy of abstract noun headwords as regards the three predominant definition-types in English lexicographic practice.

Die hooffokus van hierdie artikel is definisies in Engelse eentalige aanleerderswoordeboeke. Metaleksi-kograwe het 'n intense belangstelling in die volgende drie tipes definisies gehad: analitiese defini-sies (of klassieke definisies), volsindefinisies (ook genoem kontekstuele definisies) en enkel-bysin when-definisies. Die gebruik van when-definisies, wat die definiëring van abstrakte selfstandige naamwoorde ten doel het, het vrae en twyfel laat ontstaan oor hul effektiwiteit in die herkenning van die korrekte woordsoort van die definiendum, oftewel die item wat gedefinieer word, met inag-neming van die probleme wat verband hou met die vervangbaarheid van trefwoorde en dele van definisies ('n gebrek aan algemenekategoriewoorde in hierdie definisieformaat). Met betrekking tot die akkuraatheid van woordsoortherkenning, het bestaande navorsing in hoofsaak die groter geslaagdheid van die klassieke definisie-tipe bo die enkel-bysin when-definisies bevestig. Die huidige eksperiment poog ook om verder ondersoek in te stel na woordsoortherkenning met betrekking tot die drie bogenoemde definisietipes — in vorige studies is slegs data van analitiese en enkel-bysin when-definisies met mekaar vergelyk, aangesien kontekstuele definisies nie deel gevorm het van die studiedoelwit nie. Hierdie studie is uitgevoer op 'n groep van 120 gevorderde vlak Poolse universiteitsstudente van Engels. Die proefpersone is met betrekking tot die drie hoof-definisietipes in die Engelse leksikografiese praktyk getoets op hul vermoëns om inligting rakende sintaktiese kategorie korrek te onttrek asook op hul vertaalakkuraatheid van abstrakte selfstandige naamtrefwoorde.