Why does an ereader need a dictionary?

[DMB]

I note that in various discussions people refer to looking up words when reading. Me, I just read. I find in practice that I sometimes need a dictionary or thesaurus when writing, in order to find the mot juste. And then I am happy with my dt reference books. So I wonder why anyone needs to look up words so frequently as to interrupt their reading to do so and look words up in a dictionary in the reader. Of course, if you are reading in a language not your mother tongue, it's a different matter. There are always going to be words you're not sure of or have never even met. But if it's your own language and you are an adult, why the dictionary?

[taosaur]

I'm at a loss to find the research on Google, but according to the impeccable credentials of "something I read somewhere," skipping an unknown word can distract for the next page or two, leading to wandering attention, re-reading, and/or poor comprehension. While I have not yet used the dictionary function in any of my reading apps, having the means at hand to immediately look up unfamiliar words can actually prevent greater distraction and aid immersion in the long run.

It can't hurt one's vocabulary, either.

[Flip Martian]

I guess having a dictionary on board an e-reader is a "nice add on" that doesn't cost much and adds value to the product. I think I have a reasonable level of comprehension in English but I've been reading a paperback book recently written by an Academic which uses some words I've not come across. And not having a dictionary to hand (I was reading on the train commute to work) was a bit aggravating. First time I admit I would have appreciated a dictionary.

Perhaps e-readers are also aimed at gadget loving people who don't "normally" see themselves as buyers of books and heavy readers?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DMB

I note that in various discussions people refer to looking up words when reading. Me, I just read. I find in practice that I sometimes need a dictionary or thesaurus when writing, in order to find the mot juste. And then I am happy with my dt reference books. So I wonder why anyone needs to look up words so frequently as to interrupt their reading to do so and look words up in a dictionary in the reader. Of course, if you are reading in a language not your mother tongue, it's a different matter. There are always going to be words you're not sure of or have never even met. But if it's your own language and you are an adult, why the dictionary?

Because I read a lot of 19th century novels, and there are many words which have fallen out of common usage. Although one can of course simply guess the meaning from the context, the dictionary on the Kindle or the Sony makes it so easy to look the word up that it enhances the reading experience to do so.

Eg, take this sentence from Anthony Trollope's "Barchester Towers":

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, without looking in a dictionary, do you know what a "ha-ha" is? How about a "quintain"? On the Kindle, I can find out the meaning of these words in a few seconds, which makes the book more enjoyable.

[GeoffC]

Reading p-books I rarely checked words in a dictionary, just skipped over unknown words, or guessed their meaning in context.

Reading on my Gen3, I frequently lookup words ....

It boils down to convenience ....

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Now, without looking in a dictionary, do you know what a "ha-ha" is? How about a "quintain"? On the Kindle, I can find out the meaning of these words in a few seconds, which makes the book more enjoyable.

I know what a ha-ha is

Spoiler:

A ha-ha is a walled ditch between a garden and the surrounding fields. The effect from the house and garden is that there is no barrier between the garden and the fields, especially if the garden is lawn to the edge of the fields, and the fields are meadows.

but I admit that a quintain just brings to mind something to do with jousting, which doesn't seem right in context.

Spoiler:

It seems it is to do with jousting. It's a practice target. I'm rather pleased with myself.

On the whole I agree that a readily-available and each to use dictionary is one of the big advantages of an e-reader. Quick look-up is one of the things I miss with the Kindle's lack of a touch screen — I find manoeuvring the cursor with the four-way a bit tedious.

[DiapDealer]

I knew what a ha-ha was.

[m-reader]

In addition what was already said, many people read books in languages other than native. Dictionary is very handy when you hit a tricky word. Most times you can "glaze over it" and get the gist of the meaning given the context, but seeing the meaning of the word adds a whole new dimension to reading books!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

On the whole I agree that a readily-available and each to use dictionary is one of the big advantages of an e-reader. Quick look-up is one of the things I miss with the Kindle's lack of a touch screen — I find manoeuvring the cursor with the four-way a bit tedious.

But it's a lot more accurate than the Sony's touch screen. With my Sony PRS-350, I often find that double-tapping the screen to display the dictionary definition of a word selects the wrong word. That doesn't happen with the Kindle's selection cursor.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I knew what a ha-ha was.

So do I, but it's not a word that's in common usage, and I was simply using it as example of a word that a modern reader might not know.

[GlenBarrington]

Maybe it's a good way to look smart without having to know anything. If you say something stupid you can say, "See! THAT's why we need dictionaries in eReaders!"

[JeremyR]

I can see using a thesaurus while writing, if you are trying to write in a style not your own and want to convert the words you'd normally use to something else.

But a dictionary? That seems odd to me.

But dictionary while reading? To look up words they don't know. I seriously doubt most people know every single word in their native language. Beyond that, dictionaries are useful not just for definitions of words, but as a very simple Encyclopedia.

I was just reading a book that dealt with "Woolworth" paper. While I happened to be old enough to remember that Woolworth's was basically like Wal-Mart (cheap discount store) and thus the author presumably meant cheap, watermarkless paper, it might baffle a lot of people.

And for all I know, I might be wrong. Maybe it's a brand of paper in the UK. That's the other thing, English has at least 4 different types - American, British, Canadian, and Australian/New Zealand. While mostly we agree on names of objects, sometimes we have different ideas of what something is called. Good dictionaries will have meanings in different dialects.

[hidari]

[QUOTE=HarryT;1567155]Because I read a lot of 19th century novels, and there are many words which have fallen out of common usage. Although one can of course simply guess the meaning from the context, the dictionary on the Kindle or the Sony makes it so easy to look the word up that it enhances the reading experience to do so.

Eg, take this sentence from Anthony Trollope's "Barchester Towers":

Harry, You claim to read Many 19th Century novels..but I would imagine after reading the whole tome of Dickens, Tolstoy, and Balzac..... for example you would have a good grasp of many of the 'terms' that are used within the context of what you are reading... n'est pas?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by hidari

Harry, You claim to read Many 19th Century novels..but I would imagine after reading the whole tome of Dickens, Tolstoy, and Balzac..... for example you would have a good grasp of many of the 'terms' that are used within the context of what you are reading... n'est pas?

Yes, I've certainly greatly increased my vocabulary as a result of reading such novels, especially in areas like all the different types of horse-drawn carriages that existed at the time! But I still encounter quite a few words I don't know, and I appreciate having the dictionary at hand for that.

[aktarian]

It could come handy when reading non-fiction work in non-native language. I didn't know what coif and hauberk were until I looked them up and they come up frequently when reading about medieval armies. My reader doesn't have dictionary so when confronted with such words I have to look them up online.