The dictionary and its parts

Dictionaries are those books in which we found the words that are used in a specific language. There are different types of dictionaries that allow us to know each of the words that appear in a specific language. These types of publications are elements of consultations and are directed to a general public. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about the dictionary and its parts.

Index

1. Summary of Dictionary Parts
2. What is a dictionary
3. What are the parts of a dictionary
4. Example of a dictionary entry

The dictionary articles they have the following parts:

• Article: At the head of each article appears a motto written in bold type, presenting the lexical unit searched
• Entry
• Pronunciation
• Etymology: Origin of words, reason for their existence, their meaning and their form.
• Grammatical category: Each of the classes of words established according to their grammatical properties. The fundamental categories are the article, the noun, the adjective, the pronoun, the verb, the adverb, the preposition, the conjunction and the interjection.
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• Definition.
• Acceptances
• Phrases or phrases
• Indications on its use
• Synonyms and antonyms.

Also, if you want to practice with what you learned in class, you can do the printable exercises with their solutions that you have at the end of this lesson.

Now we are going to see what a dictionary is, that is, its definition and what functions it has. Thus we can say that it is a book in which a set of words appear, all of them belonging to a specific language and that are arranged alphabetically. All of them have a description and their meanings are shown.

In a dictionary we can find the meaning of any term collected in it, in addition to its spelling, pronunciation and etymology. On the other hand we can find specialized dictionaries such as doubts, grammatical, etymological, synonyms, antonyms...

Dictionary features

Although we can say that general or normative dictionaries have the following characteristics:

• They collect and explain the words of the language, arranged alphabetically and following an internal order in their description.
• Dictionaries are always open repertoires because the language is constantly changing. In other words, it is subject to revisions from time to time with the aim of including or eliminating different terms that have begun to be used or have fallen into disuse, in addition to different meanings of each word that may arise.
• They do not collect archaisms (obsolete words) or technicalities (specific words of certain sciences or professional fields).

Now that we know what a dictionary is and what we can find in it, let's see what parts it is divided into:

Introduction

The introduction is appears at the beginning of the dictionary and it tells us what information is we are going to find out, what has been the methodology followed to elaborate it and how it should be used. After it we will begin to find the words arranged alphabetically and including different parts.

Motto

The lemmas refer to each of the lexical units searched in the dictionary. That is, the words that we are going to search for and that appear at the beginning of the definition. These slogans can also be called entrances.

Etymology

After the entry or motto we find the etymology of the specific word. That is, through this, which usually always appears in parentheses, we are told what the origin of the word is.

Pronunciation

Between the lines (/) we can find the phonetics of the word. In other words, how it should be pronounced according to the rules of the language we are using.

Grammatical category

Each of the classes of words established according to their grammatical properties. The fundamental categories are the article, the noun, the adjective, the pronoun, the verb, the adverb, the preposition, the conjunction and the interjection.

Definition

The definition is the part of the entry in which we are shown what the specific meaning of the word we are looking for is.

Acceptance or meanings

The meanings are the different meanings that the same word can have. These are always listed and it is indicated in what context they are used.

Phrases or phrases

They indicate how the word is usually used within phrases or set phrases and its specific meaning.

Grammatical category

Indicate which category it belongs to according to its characteristics. That is, if it is a noun, a verb, a pronoun, an adverb, an adjective, an article, a preposition, a conjunction or an interjection.

Abbreviations

In the event that the word can have some reduced form, it is also presented in the dictionary. In this way we will be able to know the exact acronyms with which it will be written correctly. These always appear closed by a period. For example, if we want to abbreviate the word etcetera, it will always appear as etc.

Example

In some dictionaries we can find examples of the listed meanings to indicate in which context each of them are used.

Synonyms and antonyms

In some dictionaries we can find synonyms and antonyms of the word we are looking for.

Reference bibliography

At the end of the dictionary we can find a list with the reference bibliography, that is, we are show the sources from which the editors of the dictionary obtained the information included in he.

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Let's see a example through this entry in the Dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language.

chair

From lat. seals.

1. F. Seat with backrest, usually with four legs, and in which only one person fits.

2. F. child seat.

3. F. Riding rig, consisting of a wooden frame, generally covered with leather and filled with horsehair or ball.

4. F. seat (‖ seat of a prelate).

5. F. Dignity of Pope and other ecclesiastical.

6. F. colloq. year.

bastard chair

1. F. saddle used in ancient times, and which was distinguished mainly because in it the legs were carried less stretched out than riding the bridle and more than riding the genet.

curul chair

1. F. Semicircular seat inlaid with ivory used by Roman aediles.

hip chair

1. F. his. chair with backrest and arms for reclining.

extension chair

1. F. Cuba and Ven. deck chair.

queen chair

1. F. Seat formed between two people with four hands, each holding his wrist and the other.

sedan

1. F. Vehicle with a seat for one person, like a car box, and which, supported by two long poles, was carried by men.

2. F. Chile, Col., C. Rica and R. Sun. queen's chair.

saddle

1. F. saddle (‖ riding rig).

child seat

1. F. Low chair on wheels, which, when pushed by a person, allows a child to be transported lying down or sitting down.

post chair

1. F. Carriage, with two or four wheels, in which the post was run.

Wheelchair

1. F. chair that, with large side wheels, allows a disabled person to move.

folding chair

1. F. chair that has a seat usually made of cloth and crossed legs so that it can be folded.

Electric Chair

1. F. chair used to electrocute those sentenced to death.

gestational chair

1. F. portable chair used by the pope in certain acts of great ceremony.

jineta chair

1. F. saddle that is used to mount the genet and that only differs from the common one in that the studs are taller and less distant, the legs shorter and the stirrups greater.

easy chair

1. F. Lower arm chair than the common one, and more spacious and comfortable.

turkish saddle

1. F. Anat. Saddle-shaped notch offered by the sphenoid bone.

flying chair

1. F. Two-wheeled, two-seated carriage, placed on two poles, regularly pulling a horse, on whose saddle the carriage enters.

give someone a chair to another person

1. loc. verb. Make him feel in the presence of her.

from chair to chair

1. loc. adv. Said in the way two or more people speak: In private conference.

move someone's chair

1. loc. verb. colloq. Intrigue to make him lose his position.

not be someone for a chair or a saddlebag

1. loc. verb. colloq. Not being on purpose for something, or being entirely unskilled.

stick someone's chair

1. loc. verb. colloq. Staying in a part for a long time, stopping a lot during a visit.

remove someone's chair

1. loc. verb. colloq. Make him lose his position.

saddle horse

Chair judge

bishop of the first chair

We hope that this lesson on the dictionary and its parts has helped you to get to know it better and to interpret each of its parts. If you want to continue learning visit our Spanish Language section where you will find much more content.

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