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Monolingual define1/10/2024 ![]() I may in rare cases use a monolingual dictionary to get etymological or morphological information or a long list of expressions that contain the word, but most dictionaries aren't very generous in giving such information, and those that are are quite heavy and cumbersome to use. If I need to know more, then I use a true lexicon with long explanations (like Wikipedia) or I make searches on the internet. If I want to know what a word means during intensive study activities then I use a bilingual dictionary. For example, I currently use OED.com for English since it gives good etymology etc and for some German terms, again giving tons of useful info. All in all, using the dictionaries that equate to using the best tool for the job is of primary consideration for me.Įdit: I left off that I also often use double monolingual dictionaries and really enjoy doing so. ![]() I have a tendency to learn vocabulary pretty early on and devote time to it, so I make a continuous transition being able to rely solely on monolingual references sooner rather than later. For words I do want to isolate, I use a clipboard capture tool or hotkey to add them to a list that I can later peruse to learn more deeply (by images, monolingual work, etymology, occasional collocation dictionaries and in most cases, bilingual searches). To keep flow while reading without interruption, I have or create parallel texts which make most word lookups unnecessary after sentence alignment. Those images normally have monolingual sentence examples included that clarify what is shown in the photo, so that is what goes in Anki along with a bilingual definition if available (avoiding the tedious and somewhat boring collocation lookup). ![]() I do this for any word that I find tricky or that I think a picture might help clarify meaning. I also now use Google Images as an early reference to accompany either dictionary type. I recall that when I couldn't make jaws or fins out of the monolingual online definition, I just highlighted it and let Transover show an instant translation on hover to where I could gain comfort with reading from monolingual sources faster. I use the Transover chrome extension, Google Translate, DeepL and parallel texts to make both possible from the outset. It doesn't take very long though, maybe a matter of a few months, before those bilingual lookups lack too much nuance to give me clear and consistent definitions. I currently use both types from the beginning but initially rely mainly on bilingual resources. Both options have their value, but for my purposes the quick lookup is preferable because it allows me to continue enjoying the book I'm reading. ![]() Or you could look it up in Larousse and find out that it means, "Grand arbre (fagacée) des forêts tempérées, au tronc puissant et élancé, à écorce très fine, à petite feuilles ovales caduques." You might then want to look up fagacée, écorce and caduques, which may lead to looking up more words. Now, a quick bilingual lookup tells you that it's a beech assuming you have enough of an idea of what a beech is you can continue your read without thinking much more about it. On the other hand, if you're reading and simply need to meaning of a word to continue reading, a bilingual dictionary is the sensible choice for the average intermediate reader.įor example, you're reading in French and it says that there's a hêtre in the front garden of a house. If you are looking up a word, and are happy to spend some time browsing and thinking about the nuances of the definition, etc, a monodic (as Ari in HTLAL used to call them) is a good option. It really depends on what you're using the dictionary for. However, discussions on this very topic changed my thinking. The advantage is that you are using the language while learning the language, etc, etc. I used to think using a monolingual dictionary was necessary as soon as possible.
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