Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > General Discussions

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 05-11-2010, 12:10 AM   #1
Xanthe
Plan B Is Now In Force
Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xanthe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Xanthe's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,894
Karma: 8086979
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Surebleak
Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2
Question The Dictionary Issue

In a lot of threads I read that people consider having a dictionary in their ereader a necessary item. I don't happen to have one in mine and I don't miss it at all; I rarely have to look up words when I'm reading to begin with.

So I was wondering, for those of you who mainly just read books in your own language, how often do you really have to look up words? I can understand the need for dictionary translation when you're reading something in a language other than your native one, but for everyday reading, is a dictionary really such a critical item?
Xanthe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 12:56 AM   #2
PKFFW
Wizard
PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 3,678
Karma: 28297636
Join Date: Dec 2008
Device: BeBook, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo H2O
Mine doesn't have dictionary support and it's something I would like as I think I would use it. I like to know the exact meaning of any words I'm unfamiliar with but would not stop reading to go find a pbook dictionary and look them up. Too lazy or too engrossed in the book to take the time.

However, I find I can usually work out the general meaning of a word I don't know from the context so it's not a huge deal to me.

Cheers,
PKFFW

Last edited by PKFFW; 05-11-2010 at 05:03 AM. Reason: spelling
PKFFW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 02:20 AM   #3
Worldwalker
Curmudgeon
Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Worldwalker ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 3,085
Karma: 722357
Join Date: Feb 2010
Device: PRS-505
I've never seen the need for a dictionary. I don't keep one at my fingertips when I'm reading a printed book, so why should I need one for an ebook? That has always struck me as a feature thrown in just because it was easy and made the device sound more sophisticated, plus it gives the feature-counting sort of reviewers more to count.

(oh, and it's "engrossed")
Worldwalker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 03:32 AM   #4
HarryT
eBook Enthusiast
HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
HarryT's Avatar
 
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
I have a great love of reading 19th century novels. The 19th century was a different world, and all sorts of words which are commonplace then have completely fallen out of use today. One can sometimes guess the meaning of a word, but personally I find it a lot more satisfactory to be able to look up the actual meaning of word.

Here's an example, from Anthony Trollope's "Barchester Towers":

Quote:
Thus clad, she peered out into the tent, went to the ha-ha, and satisfied herself that at any rate the youngsters were amusing themselves, spoke a word to Mrs. Greenacre over the ditch, and took one look at the quintain.
Now, for those of you who say that you read books without a dictionary, what is a "ha-ha"? What about a "quintain"?

I find that an easily available dictionary makes the whole process of reading such books a lot "richer", because you can look up what the author actually meant, rather than having to guess - perhaps wrongly - what these unfamiliar words mean.
HarryT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 03:38 AM   #5
LDBoblo
Wizard
LDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcoverLDBoblo exercises by bench pressing the entire Harry Potter series in hardcover
 
Posts: 1,385
Karma: 16056
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Asia
Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505
I rarely need a dictionary for my own language. However, I can imagine a lot of parents with younger readers that would like to have the option available. If ebook readers were worth something to scholarly reading, I would suppose that some students would need to use a dictionary to decipher some of the more contrived academic writing out there as well. Or, as Harry pointed out, you like to read books that use deprecated vernacular, it can be handy to understand variants (like the word nice for instance).

As you said, second-language readers could find it enormously valuable. I'd love to have a fast reader with convenient input and stardict or lingoes dictionary support. I use it a lot when reading my second or third language on the PC, and I would love to have it on a nice fast epaper device.

But for a typical disposable novel in my native language? Not really that useful to me. Of course, I hate the fact that much of my epaper reading is limited to precisely that.

Last edited by LDBoblo; 05-11-2010 at 03:41 AM.
LDBoblo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 03:54 AM   #6
Scott Nielsen
Groupie
Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!Scott Nielsen goes to infinity... and beyond!
 
Posts: 155
Karma: 112134
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Device: iPad, K3, K4, T1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker View Post
I don't keep one at my fingertips when I'm reading a printed book, so why should I need one for an ebook?
I don't either. But having the lookup possibility on the reader has proven a real boon even if I use it seldom. Whenever I decide to replace my current reader, a built-in dictionary will be a must-have item.
Scott Nielsen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 04:23 AM   #7
Manichean
Wizard
Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.
 
Manichean's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,130
Karma: 91256
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Germany
Device: Cybook Gen3
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
Now, for those of you who say that you read books without a dictionary, what is a "ha-ha"? What about a "quintain"?
I know what a ha-ha is since reading Pratchett.

And know that I've got that out of my system, I used to have (and regularly use) a dictionary while having the Mobipocket firmware on my Cybook. But since I switched to the ePub firmware, which doesn't support dictionaries, I have to say I don't really miss having a dictionary. I just look things up in another dictionary, be it on paper or on the computer.
Manichean is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 04:37 AM   #8
beachwanderer
-
beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
beachwanderer's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,602
Karma: 16748808
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: At the Baltic Sea
Device: Some
Quote:
I know what a ha-ha is since reading Pratchett.
Ah, another avid pratechttarian.

But you should clarify a bit: You learned what a ha-ha is by coming across the ho-ho.

Back on topic:

A find my usage of a dictionary very varying. So sometimes I will miss it while reading on a device which does not support one, but most of the time I don't use it.

Result for now: I put one or two on my smartphone and since this is with me most of the time I now tend to look things up there ...

Last edited by beachwanderer; 05-11-2010 at 04:46 AM.
beachwanderer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 05:02 AM   #9
banjobama
Busy Read'n
banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.banjobama ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
banjobama's Avatar
 
Posts: 980
Karma: 5039283
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Auburn, WA
Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5
I only saw the dictionary in my Sony 600 as an extra perk before I owned it, but I use it much more than I thought I would. Of course I didn't read a paperback book with a dictionary always at hand but as long as it's there I use it.

I agree with another poster who said that any other reader I get, a dictionary will be necessary, now that I've gotten used to having one.
banjobama is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 05:04 AM   #10
PKFFW
Wizard
PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.PKFFW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 3,678
Karma: 28297636
Join Date: Dec 2008
Device: BeBook, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo H2O
Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker View Post
(oh, and it's "engrossed")
Spelling never was my best subject in school!
PKFFW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 05:09 AM   #11
Manichean
Wizard
Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.
 
Manichean's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,130
Karma: 91256
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Germany
Device: Cybook Gen3
Quote:
Originally Posted by beachwanderer View Post
Ah, another avid pratechttarian.

But you should clarify a bit: You learned what a ha-ha is by coming across the ho-ho.
I wouldn't cal myself avid or even pratchettarian. But I read and enjoyed almost all of the discworld books.
And I believe you don't come across a ho-ho, it's more a falling into it.
Manichean is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 05:16 AM   #12
beachwanderer
-
beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.beachwanderer ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
beachwanderer's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,602
Karma: 16748808
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: At the Baltic Sea
Device: Some
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manichean View Post
And I believe you don't come across a ho-ho, it's more a falling into it.


Well, if you wouldn't have come across, you wouldn't be here to tell, don't you think?

beachwanderer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 05:23 AM   #13
Manichean
Wizard
Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.Manichean is the 'tall, dark, handsome stranger' all the fortune-tellers are referring to.
 
Manichean's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,130
Karma: 91256
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Germany
Device: Cybook Gen3
Quote:
Originally Posted by beachwanderer View Post


Well, if you wouldn't have come across, you wouldn't be here to tell, don't you think?

I do carry a reader around, and, as we are well aware, libraries do peculiar things to time and space.

(I'll stop with the thread hijacking now, I promise!)
Manichean is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 06:08 AM   #14
mr ploppy
Feral Underclass
mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
mr ploppy's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,622
Karma: 26821535
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Yorkshire, tha noz
Device: 2nd hand paperback
I had one on my PDA when I was using that as a reader, but don't have one now. I can't say I've missed it. You can usually get enough of a gist about an unusual word or phrase to make a reasonable guess at what it means.

I did need to look up what a "parking garage" was the first time I came across it, and "soft serve cone" had me stumped until the next morning when I looked at one on Google images.
mr ploppy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2010, 06:29 AM   #15
Terisa de morgan
Grand Sorcerer
Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Terisa de morgan ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Terisa de morgan's Avatar
 
Posts: 6,211
Karma: 11766195
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Madrid, Spain
Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xanthe View Post
So I was wondering, for those of you who mainly just read books in your own language, how often do you really have to look up words? I can understand the need for dictionary translation when you're reading something in a language other than your native one, but for everyday reading, is a dictionary really such a critical item?
There's a problem with this sentence. My everyday reading is not in my own language I mean, I'm Spanish but my e-readers (in almost a year) hasn't known an Spanish book, and, in the two years before, my PDA has known very few Spanish books
Terisa de morgan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Dictionary lookup in iBooks 1.1: "Dictionary not available for this language" kjk Apple Devices 71 09-18-2010 06:24 AM
Oxford built-in dictionary disappears after changing default dictionary YYZscientist Amazon Kindle 4 01-24-2010 08:42 PM
Dictionary, Webster's: Webster's Dictionary 1913, v1, 22 Nov 07 jbenny Kindle Books 58 06-02-2009 06:14 AM
0.5.2 Issue drmathprog Calibre 3 03-25-2009 10:33 PM
Next issue..... DeathtoToasters iRex 5 12-05-2007 02:10 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:17 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.