Work around for foreign language dictionary problem

Stingo · 11-19-2011, 09:50 AM

I found a temporary solution to the Kindle Touch foreign language dictionary problem! It all has to do with the book encoding. If you want the foreign language dictionaries to work the book language has to be set to English.

If the book is encoded for English, regardless of the language of the book, the Kindle Touch will look up words in what it considers the appropriate language. In other words if you have a book with English and Spanish in it, and it is encoded to English, the dictionary will generally look up English words in the English dictionary and Spanish words in the Spanish. If you have a German book and encode it with Calibre to English, the Kindle Touch will look up the words in an approved German dictionary if you have one installed.

On the other hand, if the book language is set to anything other than English, the dictionary will return "Dictionary not found for language of book. Download from Archive."

Hope this helps and that Amazon fixes this bug.

Kumabjorn · 11-20-2011, 09:12 AM

Just to see if I got this right. If I install a Japanese dictionary (I have severall in text format) and edit the language setting in Calibre from Japanese to English, then I could use that as my default dictionary when I read a Japanese book? If that is true, then this is huge.

Stingo · 11-20-2011, 01:14 PM

Not sure. The reason that I am not sure is that the Kindle site lists compatible dictionaries. I am not sure whether there is some new factor that would keep your text dictionaries from working. That said, if your Japanese dictionary is compatible then my experience is that if you set the language of the book to a foreign language and try to spell check a word it will give you the dreaded "Dictionary not found for language of book...." If you set the book language to English, then the Touch will go out and find the word in the appropriate dictionary.

Three observations:
Forget about setting a default dictionary. So far it seems that the Touch ignores that setting.
Second, it seems that the Touch will look up a word in English first and then try other dictionaries. This leads to finding a definition of soya when trying to find the spanish "soy."
Third, if you are using Calibre it is not enough to set the language to English, you need to recreate the mobi.

Everything that I have conveyed has come from experimenting with the touch and Spanish or German approved dictionaries. With a non-latin language your millage may vary.

If you try this please post you results.

Kumabjorn · 11-20-2011, 03:06 PM

I will certainly try to do that. I didn't realize that the discussion was specific to the Touch.

shinew · 11-20-2011, 04:03 PM

Just to confirm that it works. I just loaded a Chinese dictionary onto the kindle and it shows. Although I was never aware of the problem in the first place

Alibaba32 · 11-20-2011, 10:26 PM

Shinew hi, Was the chinese dictionary one of amazon's compatible ones? as I am not sure what they have. I already have an Harrap's French to English dictionary in Mobi format. If this is possible, it would help me translate my French reading.
I don't have a kindle touch yet so can't try myself.
Any help on this would be very welcome.
Regards
Andrew

shinew · 11-21-2011, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alibaba32

Shinew hi, Was the chinese dictionary one of amazon's compatible ones? as I am not sure what they have. I already have an Harrap's French to English dictionary in Mobi format. If this is possible, it would help me translate my French reading.
I don't have a kindle touch yet so can't try myself.
Any help on this would be very welcome.
Regards
Andrew

No it's one of the dictionaries I got from elsewhere. I've never used it though, just loaded to see if it works. If you already have a dictionary in mobi format, just drop it into the document folder and it'll show up as one of the selectable dictionaries on the kindle. Sending it through your Personal Document won't work though.

Alibaba32 · 11-21-2011, 02:09 AM

Shinew thanks, one other question, on the K4 Touch can copy from an open book & paste to search in another dictionary?

Stingo · 11-21-2011, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shinew

No it's one of the dictionaries I got from elsewhere. I've never used it though, just loaded to see if it works. If you already have a dictionary in mobi format, just drop it into the document folder and it'll show up as one of the selectable dictionaries on the kindle. Sending it through your Personal Document won't work though.

The issue is not with the dictionary showing on the dictionary list. The issue is with the way that the Kindle Touch accesses the dictionaries from inside documents. Have you tried using it in a document? If the document is encoded for English it may work. If not you will probably get the "Dictonary for language not found.." error.

Alibaba32 · 11-21-2011, 02:48 PM

Stingo Hi, I am new this and don't have a Kindle Touch, but only have Kindle for PC. even though K4PC brings up the correct Amazon inbuilt dictionaries (unlike the KTouch at present) for the language of the books you are reading, I have noticed that if you remove the French Amazon Dictionary from your Kindle content folder insert your own French dictionary you can't force it to open it up, the meta language is the same and even changing the ASIN No. to that of the Amazon French Dictionary does not work. I think, like you there is a lot going on in the way the dictionary files are constructed.
But it would be nice to see what Shinew says.

regards
Andrew

Alibaba32 · 11-21-2011, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stingo

I found a temporary solution to the Kindle Touch foreign language dictionary problem!

and another quote "Forget about setting a default dictionary. So far it seems that the Touch ignores that setting."

Stingo hi, regarding the two quotes above, are these problems relative to all new KTouch devices that have been sold or only some? Also has anybody that you know of, had a response from Amazon CS about them.

Andrew

shinew · 11-21-2011, 03:25 PM

Stingo, yes I tried that within a document, the Chinese dictionary works. Neutral(probably undefined) also works. But you're probably right that specifying to a different language won't work, didn't thoroughly test it though since I don't use the feature.

Alibaba, KT does not support copy & paste. I'm not sure about windows, but I dragged the Chinese dictionary onto my Mac's kindle app, it doesn't work. So it only works on the actual kindle device.

Alibaba32 · 11-21-2011, 04:47 PM

Shinew, nice to hear your dictionary worked. the idea behind the copy & paste was incase the dictionaries didn't work! but seems there is a good chance that mine will.
And no, copy & paste does not work on my windows version. anyway thank you and Stingo for all your help, all I have to do now is wait for the KTouch to be available here in Europe. I am English but live in France hence the E to F dictionary and KTouch for quick lookup when reading French.
Look forward to hearing from you Stingo re your two earlier quotes I asked about.

Andrew

Stingo · 11-21-2011, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alibaba32

and another quote "Forget about setting a default dictionary. So far it seems that the Touch ignores that setting."

Stingo hi, regarding the two quotes above, are these problems relative to all new KTouch devices that have been sold or only some? Also has anybody that you know of, had a response from Amazon CS about them.

Andrew,

I can only tell you what I have experienced and found with my touch. I don't know if all touches are the same but since the problem is firmware based rather than hardware I see no reason that it would be different with another device. I have called and e-mailed Amazon and am waiting for them to get back to me from their advanced tech section. The call takers normally don't know what they are talking about with regards to the language support.

Stingo · 11-21-2011, 11:04 PM

Well, here is some more information on the Kindle Touch dictionary problem. According to Tech support e-mail you have to e-mail the document to the kindle to have it work. Wrong. Books purchased directly from Amazon do not work.

The problem may be how the dictionaries are encoded. I have the Barrons German and MW Spanish dictionaries. Under Dictionary settings they both show up under English dictionaries. Another user says that he downloaded a very expensive new Harper Collins Spanish Dictionary and that it showed up as a Spanish dictionary and seemed to work with Spanish encoded books.

Unfortunately if you remove DRM from the dictionaries and re-encode to their respective language, the Kindle does not see them as dictionaries any longer.

Suggestions?

11-19-2011, 09:50 AM	#1
Stingo Fanatic Posts: 559 Karma: 1334691 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami Device: KH2O, KPW2, KDXG, KPW1, K3, S505	Work around for foreign language dictionary problem I found a temporary solution to the Kindle Touch foreign language dictionary problem! It all has to do with the book encoding. If you want the foreign language dictionaries to work the book language has to be set to English. If the book is encoded for English, regardless of the language of the book, the Kindle Touch will look up words in what it considers the appropriate language. In other words if you have a book with English and Spanish in it, and it is encoded to English, the dictionary will generally look up English words in the English dictionary and Spanish words in the Spanish. If you have a German book and encode it with Calibre to English, the Kindle Touch will look up the words in an approved German dictionary if you have one installed. On the other hand, if the book language is set to anything other than English, the dictionary will return "Dictionary not found for language of book. Download from Archive." Hope this helps and that Amazon fixes this bug.

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11-20-2011, 09:12 AM	#2
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Just to see if I got this right. If I install a Japanese dictionary (I have severall in text format) and edit the language setting in Calibre from Japanese to English, then I could use that as my default dictionary when I read a Japanese book? If that is true, then this is huge.

11-20-2011, 01:14 PM	#3
Stingo Fanatic Posts: 559 Karma: 1334691 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami Device: KH2O, KPW2, KDXG, KPW1, K3, S505	Not sure. The reason that I am not sure is that the Kindle site lists compatible dictionaries. I am not sure whether there is some new factor that would keep your text dictionaries from working. That said, if your Japanese dictionary is compatible then my experience is that if you set the language of the book to a foreign language and try to spell check a word it will give you the dreaded "Dictionary not found for language of book...." If you set the book language to English, then the Touch will go out and find the word in the appropriate dictionary. Three observations: Forget about setting a default dictionary. So far it seems that the Touch ignores that setting. Second, it seems that the Touch will look up a word in English first and then try other dictionaries. This leads to finding a definition of soya when trying to find the spanish "soy." Third, if you are using Calibre it is not enough to set the language to English, you need to recreate the mobi. Everything that I have conveyed has come from experimenting with the touch and Spanish or German approved dictionaries. With a non-latin language your millage may vary. If you try this please post you results.

11-20-2011, 03:06 PM	#4
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I will certainly try to do that. I didn't realize that the discussion was specific to the Touch.

11-20-2011, 04:03 PM	#5
shinew Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 1008082 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NYC Device: Kindle PW, K4 Touch, iPad2, Samsung Galaxy S II	Just to confirm that it works. I just loaded a Chinese dictionary onto the kindle and it shows. Although I was never aware of the problem in the first place

11-20-2011, 10:26 PM	#6
Alibaba32 Member Posts: 23 Karma: 48 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Limousin, France but English Device: Kindle pc	Shinew hi, Was the chinese dictionary one of amazon's compatible ones? as I am not sure what they have. I already have an Harrap's French to English dictionary in Mobi format. If this is possible, it would help me translate my French reading. I don't have a kindle touch yet so can't try myself. Any help on this would be very welcome. Regards Andrew

11-21-2011, 02:09 AM	#8
Alibaba32 Member Posts: 23 Karma: 48 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Limousin, France but English Device: Kindle pc	Shinew thanks, one other question, on the K4 Touch can copy from an open book & paste to search in another dictionary?

11-21-2011, 02:48 PM	#10
Alibaba32 Member Posts: 23 Karma: 48 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Limousin, France but English Device: Kindle pc	Stingo Hi, I am new this and don't have a Kindle Touch, but only have Kindle for PC. even though K4PC brings up the correct Amazon inbuilt dictionaries (unlike the KTouch at present) for the language of the books you are reading, I have noticed that if you remove the French Amazon Dictionary from your Kindle content folder insert your own French dictionary you can't force it to open it up, the meta language is the same and even changing the ASIN No. to that of the Amazon French Dictionary does not work. I think, like you there is a lot going on in the way the dictionary files are constructed. But it would be nice to see what Shinew says. regards Andrew

11-21-2011, 03:25 PM	#12
shinew Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 1008082 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NYC Device: Kindle PW, K4 Touch, iPad2, Samsung Galaxy S II	Stingo, yes I tried that within a document, the Chinese dictionary works. Neutral(probably undefined) also works. But you're probably right that specifying to a different language won't work, didn't thoroughly test it though since I don't use the feature. Alibaba, KT does not support copy & paste. I'm not sure about windows, but I dragged the Chinese dictionary onto my Mac's kindle app, it doesn't work. So it only works on the actual kindle device.

11-21-2011, 04:47 PM	#13
Alibaba32 Member Posts: 23 Karma: 48 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Limousin, France but English Device: Kindle pc	Shinew, nice to hear your dictionary worked. the idea behind the copy & paste was incase the dictionaries didn't work! but seems there is a good chance that mine will. And no, copy & paste does not work on my windows version. anyway thank you and Stingo for all your help, all I have to do now is wait for the KTouch to be available here in Europe. I am English but live in France hence the E to F dictionary and KTouch for quick lookup when reading French. Look forward to hearing from you Stingo re your two earlier quotes I asked about. Andrew

11-21-2011, 11:04 PM	#15
Stingo Fanatic Posts: 559 Karma: 1334691 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami Device: KH2O, KPW2, KDXG, KPW1, K3, S505	Well, here is some more information on the Kindle Touch dictionary problem. According to Tech support e-mail you have to e-mail the document to the kindle to have it work. Wrong. Books purchased directly from Amazon do not work. The problem may be how the dictionaries are encoded. I have the Barrons German and MW Spanish dictionaries. Under Dictionary settings they both show up under English dictionaries. Another user says that he downloaded a very expensive new Harper Collins Spanish Dictionary and that it showed up as a Spanish dictionary and seemed to work with Spanish encoded books. Unfortunately if you remove DRM from the dictionaries and re-encode to their respective language, the Kindle does not see them as dictionaries any longer. Suggestions?

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