Extended article comments in online dictionaries

Abstract

Online dictionaries offer many new options to lexicographers, including an innovative way of dealing with dictionary structures. Looking at articles in different dictionaries but especially at those in one online dictionary, this study focuses on the presentation and structuring of article comments. Both comments on semantics and comments on form as well as subcomments on semantics are discussed. In multi-layered articles, the different restricted articles accommodate different layers of subcomments. These subcomments are integrated into the higher level subcomment and together they constitute a new search position, namely, a search tunnel. Such a tunnel contains downwardly expanded as well as upwardly attached restricted articles. The allocation of all data relevant to one specific sense of a polysemous word to one search position enhances articleinternal cohesion and deviates from a traditional strict division between the comment on form and the comment on semantics. It is shown how lexicographers can employ article comments in a functional and innovative way.