Why does an ereader need a dictionary? - Page 8

anamardoll · 06-09-2011, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

No-one knows every word in their language, but a well educated adult isn't going to meet many new words when reading unless the reading is in a very specialised area.

I have a degree in English and one in Electrical Engineering and I still have to look up words occasionally, even with the context. Husband has two degrees in Software Engineering and he frequently asks me what words mean.

Mother and Father also frequently ask me words, but these are often words not in the Oxford English dictionary -- or, if they are, they were added very recently.

Languages evolve. Old, unused words come into vogue again. New words are coined. Sometimes old meanings are resurrected and used. Especially now when every author alive has an Internet-powered thesaurus at their fingertips.

"isn't going to meet many new words" means that the reader WILL meet some new words. Why not have a dictionary at hand on the eReader? I'm not going to flame-on to the OP, but I don't really understand the point of this question. It's an obvious add-on and it takes up little space.

For me, I like the Wikipedia lookup on my Sony more than the dictionary, but that's a personal preference.

ardeegee · 06-09-2011, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

No-one knows every word in their language, but a well educated adult isn't going to meet many new words when reading unless the reading is in a very specialised area.

The OED lists more than 300,000 words. How many hundred thousand of them do you know, off the top of your head?

(I'd go so far as to say that an adult that doesn't encounter new words while reading isn't continuing to become well educated.)

anamardoll · 06-09-2011, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

(I'd go so far as to say that an adult that doesn't encounter new words while reading isn't continuing to become well educated.)

Hear, hear!

Angst · 06-09-2011, 02:43 PM

My complaint against ebook dictionaries is that they are lookup only. I'm the type of person that will open a dictionary, (or encyclopedia), and read, just for the hell of it, hoping to discover some new and interesting words.

anamardoll · 06-09-2011, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angst

My complaint against ebook dictionaries is that they are lookup only. I'm the type of person that will open a dictionary, (or encyclopedia), and read, just for the hell of it, hoping to discover some new and interesting words.

Sony has a Wikipedia lookup, so you could definitely do a Wiki Walk, I would think.

CWatkinsNash · 06-09-2011, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Sony has a Wikipedia lookup, so you could definitely do a Wiki Walk, I would think.

Haha, this is why I only hit Wiki when I have a lot of time - I start with one thing and four hours later...

I, too, used to read dictionaries and encyclopedias for pleasure, and the advent of hyperlinked information turned me into an info-seeking maniac.

Rainmaker · 06-09-2011, 05:03 PM

Going against the OP topic:
If everyone who is learning a new language, tends as usually to read in said foreign language; a dictionary is one of the tools he will need more; for the lack of having a native speaker next to him explaining each and every word/phrase.

So, if as a general rule everyone who is learning a new language, reads in said language, why should you remove the dictionary from an eReader?

I mean, I understand that you may find no use to it; but it's not like an app that's bugging you while you read (Kindle: unless you navigate on purpose through the text with the 5 pad for the sake of it).
[It can't be as annoying as the ms word Clip/Dog help thingy....]

On another subject, if you are reading on your mother tongue, it can still be useful, there are some slight differences between American English and British English (the biggest distinctions) though you could wider it to other's.
For example, in spanish, you have: Spain "spanish", Argentina "spanish", Mexico "spanish", Chile "spanish".
And usually some words are used in one and not the other, and sometimes because of cultural/political/historical reasons word's meaning change.

The one that pops to mind is:
"coger":
In Spanish:Spain, coger is "to grab" something, usually from a surface; to grab, to pick up, to get something.
In Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, big etc...), coger is a slang for "fornicate".

ucfgrad93 · 06-09-2011, 05:40 PM

I love the fact that my Kindle has a dictionary on it. It just takes a few seconds to look up words that I don't know. What is not to like?

SeaBookGuy · 06-09-2011, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angst

My complaint against ebook dictionaries is that they are lookup only. I'm the type of person that will open a dictionary, (or encyclopedia), and read, just for the hell of it, hoping to discover some new and interesting words.

Not so, you can open your Sony dictionary on its own, as well as accessing it from within a book by tapping on a word. It isn't "lookup only".

ucfgrad93 · 06-09-2011, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

Not so, you can open your Sony dictionary on its own, as well as accessing it from within a book by tapping on a word. It isn't "lookup only".

Same with the dictionary on my Kindle.

viviena · 06-10-2011, 12:47 AM

I love having dictionaries on my ereaders, and especially with my 350, I always find myself looking up an odd (or not-so-odd) word or two. My vocabulary is large compared to my peers, but I'm aware that I use some words inappropriately or in a very idiomatic, Australian English sense, so I find myself looking up words a lot to confirm context more than anything else.

Last word I looked up on my ereader? Fixing. A very simple word, yes, but I wasn't familiar with its use in the phrase 'fixing to go out', 'fixing to eat', which is apparently a common Southern US English construction.

SeaBookGuy · 06-10-2011, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viviena

I love having dictionaries on my ereaders, and especially with my 350, I always find myself looking up an odd (or not-so-odd) word or two. My vocabulary is large compared to my peers, but I'm aware that I use some words inappropriately or in a very idiomatic, Australian English sense, so I find myself looking up words a lot to confirm context more than anything else.

Last word I looked up on my ereader? Fixing. A very simple word, yes, but I wasn't familiar with its use in the phrase 'fixing to go out', 'fixing to eat', which is apparently a common Southern US English construction.

FYI -- you're rarely likely to actually hear "fix-ING" but "fixin' " instead. There's also "Fixins" meaning the condiments and lettuce, tomato slices (sorry, no beetroot), etc. at fast food restaurants where you add those things to the burger yourself.

HarryT · 06-10-2011, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angst

My complaint against ebook dictionaries is that they are lookup only. I'm the type of person that will open a dictionary, (or encyclopedia), and read, just for the hell of it, hoping to discover some new and interesting words.

Not true. On the Kindle you can open a dictionary and read it, just like any other book.

Bookworm_Girl · 06-10-2011, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viviena

I love having dictionaries on my ereaders, and especially with my 350, I always find myself looking up an odd (or not-so-odd) word or two. My vocabulary is large compared to my peers, but I'm aware that I use some words inappropriately or in a very idiomatic, Australian English sense, so I find myself looking up words a lot to confirm context more than anything else.
Last word I looked up on my ereader? Fixing. A very simple word, yes, but I wasn't familiar with its use in the phrase 'fixing to go out', 'fixing to eat', which is apparently a common Southern US English construction.

Excellent example! I also use the dictionary frequently to see the use of a word in various expressions.

pidgeon92 · 06-10-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

Well, even when reading in French, which is not my native language, I still prefer not to interrupt the reading flow by looking up a word. I make a mental note and look any words up after I finish reading.

I make these mental notes as well.

Sadly, they tend to be completely forgotten by the time I'm done reading.

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06-09-2011, 02:43 PM	#109
Angst Cannon Fodder Posts: 2,876 Karma: 52253556 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Probably a library Device: PRS-350, Kindle DX, Kindle Paperwhite	My complaint against ebook dictionaries is that they are lookup only. I'm the type of person that will open a dictionary, (or encyclopedia), and read, just for the hell of it, hoping to discover some new and interesting words.

06-09-2011, 05:03 PM	#112
Rainmaker Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 185586 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: Kindle 3G	Going against the OP topic: If everyone who is learning a new language, tends as usually to read in said foreign language; a dictionary is one of the tools he will need more; for the lack of having a native speaker next to him explaining each and every word/phrase. So, if as a general rule everyone who is learning a new language, reads in said language, why should you remove the dictionary from an eReader? I mean, I understand that you may find no use to it; but it's not like an app that's bugging you while you read (Kindle: unless you navigate on purpose through the text with the 5 pad for the sake of it). [It can't be as annoying as the ms word Clip/Dog help thingy....] On another subject, if you are reading on your mother tongue, it can still be useful, there are some slight differences between American English and British English (the biggest distinctions) though you could wider it to other's. For example, in spanish, you have: Spain "spanish", Argentina "spanish", Mexico "spanish", Chile "spanish". And usually some words are used in one and not the other, and sometimes because of cultural/political/historical reasons word's meaning change. The one that pops to mind is: "coger": In Spanish:Spain, coger is "to grab" something, usually from a surface; to grab, to pick up, to get something. In Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, big etc...), coger is a slang for "fornicate".

06-09-2011, 05:40 PM	#113
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,370 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	I love the fact that my Kindle has a dictionary on it. It just takes a few seconds to look up words that I don't know. What is not to like?

06-10-2011, 12:47 AM	#116
viviena Evangelist Posts: 412 Karma: 520610 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canberra, Australia Device: Currently Kobo Clara HD and Aura One, iPad	I love having dictionaries on my ereaders, and especially with my 350, I always find myself looking up an odd (or not-so-odd) word or two. My vocabulary is large compared to my peers, but I'm aware that I use some words inappropriately or in a very idiomatic, Australian English sense, so I find myself looking up words a lot to confirm context more than anything else. Last word I looked up on my ereader? Fixing. A very simple word, yes, but I wasn't familiar with its use in the phrase 'fixing to go out', 'fixing to eat', which is apparently a common Southern US English construction.