Why choose a paper dictionary in the digital age?

It doesn’t seem like much, but each of them is treated in detail: all the meanings of the word identified by the corpora are presented, the main translation equivalents and numerous expressions and examples (almost 33,000 in total). The key words are thus selected as in a small dictionary, but each word is treated with the same accuracy as in voluminous bilingual dictionaries. This dictionary is intended for both those who are starting to learn French or Estonian, as well as more experienced speakers who want to improve their vocabulary and grammatical skills and learn to express themselves more naturally in a foreign language.

“Estonian-French basic dictionary. Estonian-French basic dictionary”. Photo: book

The question may arise: why choose a paper dictionary in this digital age, when we have all kinds of online dictionaries and translation solutions at our disposal? The answer is simple: a paper dictionary can be browsed much more easily, thus discovering linguistic riches that you couldn’t even look for before. As a translation aid, the bilingual dictionary may actually be a little outdated and less necessary than it used to be. Yet it still has an important and special place in language acquisition.

Despite advances in machine translation, people’s need to learn foreign languages ​​has not disappeared. In order to speak and write in one or another language, it is necessary to know the vocabulary and know how to use it in sentences from a grammatical and language-specific point of view. In the process of acquiring and improving foreign language skills, a bilingual dictionary with its alphabetical structure, methodical approach and comprehensive presentation also plays a definite role.

KEY VOCABULARY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

To introduce the idiomatic aspects of the language and the most useful expressions and constructions to the user who wishes to improve their skills in the foreign language, the basic vocabulary that constitutes the majority of daily communication is completely sufficient and representative basic material. The amount of keywords larger than 5000 words does not add much to the development of communication skills. Less frequently used words are less difficult to translate (often have only one equivalent) and offer fewer opportunities to highlight specific grammatical constructions and idiomatic expressions.

The basic dictionary is part of the “Great Estonian-French Dictionary” project, which started almost 20 years ago and has been continuously compiled with the support of numerous Estonian, French and Belgian cooperation partners and donors. The project can be consulted on the website and is coordinated by the Estonian-French Lexicography Association.

The article first appeared in the Raamat newspaper.

2023-12-07 14:15:00
why-choose-a-paper-dictionary-in-the-digital-age