kindle dictionaries issue

sovre · 09-06-2019, 10:11 PM

On my new Kindle Paperwhite (latest model) none of the dictionaries seem to be working except the standard English, and I'm trying to figure out why.

The dictionary files are there in the documents folder and they show up in the list, but if I switch to any but the English (for example the Oxford French-English dictionary, which I believe comes with the Kindle?) I just get "no definition found" and a blank.

I've tried this with multiple words and languages - it's always the same.

The online translation option does work, but I'd like to be able to do the word look-ups while offline.

Any ideas about what could be causing this?

Thanks.

Shark69 · 09-07-2019, 04:48 AM

Have you download dictionaries from Amazon? If you sideload dictionaries from another device, these could not work because of DRM. Only dictionaries free of DRM of downloaded from Amazon work.

sovre · 09-07-2019, 05:40 PM

Hi Shark. Thanks for your reply.

I think these Oxford dictionaries are the ones that come with the Kindle? They are the Oxford dictionaries.

I'm wondering if somehow the ones on my device are outdated though. They all worked fine with my older Kindle - but not functioning with this one.

I went to my Kindle content page and found all the dictionaries there. There are a number of dual language foreign language dictionaries I use like Oxford French-English Spanish-English, etc.

I deleted the dictionaries currently on my device and asked them to be sent to my device from the Amazon Kindle content page, then tried them again - same problem "no definition found."

But I noticed all the dictionaries listed there are dated 2016. Maybe this is the problem?

Right now I'm trying to find out if there is some way to update to the latest versions of these Oxford dictionaries, but no luck so far.

sovre · 09-09-2019, 01:38 AM

I was able to solve this problem.

Thought I'd post the solution here in case anyone runs into a similar problem.

What I did was completely delete all dictionary files except the main English dictionary from my Kindle documents folder.

I then went to the Amazon Kindle content page and selected all the other dictionaries I use and had it send them to my Kindle.

Now all dictionaries are working again.

Old files must have been corrupted or conflicting with the latest Kindle OS somehow...

tomsem · 09-09-2019, 05:49 PM

I was going to suggest something along those lines. If dictionary cannot be indexed (because of corrupted file) then lookup won’t work either.

badgoodDeb · 09-10-2019, 03:30 PM

Oh! Well, all DRM'ed kindle books are encoded for the device they are downloaded to. So copying from one device to another will never work. Unless you have done some DRM removal first.

09-06-2019, 10:11 PM	#1
sovre Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: United States Device: iPad Mini; iPhone; Kindle Paperwhite (10th gen)	kindle dictionaries issue On my new Kindle Paperwhite (latest model) none of the dictionaries seem to be working except the standard English, and I'm trying to figure out why. The dictionary files are there in the documents folder and they show up in the list, but if I switch to any but the English (for example the Oxford French-English dictionary, which I believe comes with the Kindle?) I just get "no definition found" and a blank. I've tried this with multiple words and languages - it's always the same. The online translation option does work, but I'd like to be able to do the word look-ups while offline. Any ideas about what could be causing this? Thanks. Last edited by sovre; 09-06-2019 at 10:14 PM.

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09-07-2019, 04:48 AM	#2
Shark69 Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 493152 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Spain Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Have you download dictionaries from Amazon? If you sideload dictionaries from another device, these could not work because of DRM. Only dictionaries free of DRM of downloaded from Amazon work.

09-07-2019, 05:40 PM	#3
sovre Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: United States Device: iPad Mini; iPhone; Kindle Paperwhite (10th gen)	Hi Shark. Thanks for your reply. I think these Oxford dictionaries are the ones that come with the Kindle? They are the Oxford dictionaries. I'm wondering if somehow the ones on my device are outdated though. They all worked fine with my older Kindle - but not functioning with this one. I went to my Kindle content page and found all the dictionaries there. There are a number of dual language foreign language dictionaries I use like Oxford French-English Spanish-English, etc. I deleted the dictionaries currently on my device and asked them to be sent to my device from the Amazon Kindle content page, then tried them again - same problem "no definition found." But I noticed all the dictionaries listed there are dated 2016. Maybe this is the problem? Right now I'm trying to find out if there is some way to update to the latest versions of these Oxford dictionaries, but no luck so far.

09-09-2019, 01:38 AM	#4
sovre Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: United States Device: iPad Mini; iPhone; Kindle Paperwhite (10th gen)	I was able to solve this problem. Thought I'd post the solution here in case anyone runs into a similar problem. What I did was completely delete all dictionary files except the main English dictionary from my Kindle documents folder. I then went to the Amazon Kindle content page and selected all the other dictionaries I use and had it send them to my Kindle. Now all dictionaries are working again. Old files must have been corrupted or conflicting with the latest Kindle OS somehow...

09-09-2019, 05:49 PM	#5
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,477 Karma: 26425959 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I was going to suggest something along those lines. If dictionary cannot be indexed (because of corrupted file) then lookup won’t work either.

09-10-2019, 03:30 PM	#6
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,501 Karma: 64095689 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Oh! Well, all DRM'ed kindle books are encoded for the device they are downloaded to. So copying from one device to another will never work. Unless you have done some DRM removal first.

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