Re: [edict-jmdict] Higher-level taxa in JMdict

[Jim Breen <jimbreen@*********>]

On 19 July 2010 08:53, René Malenfant <rene_malenfant@hotmail.com> wrote:

> So I recommend that all ~属, ~科, etc. entries that cannot be found in any of the major kokugo dictionaries (or whose non-Latin foreign-language equivalents cannot be found in a non-specialists' dictionary) be excluded from JMdict.

I have been thinking this one over for quite a while, and I have discussed
it with a couple of people. My inclination is to let ~属, ~科, etc. entries
continue as now.  When I think of an entry like:

アザラシ科 【アザラシか】 (n) Phocidae (seals)

it certainly makes sense having it in JMdict rather than JMNEdict. I accept
that 科 and 属 can be applied to a vast number of genera and families, but
I don't really put it in the same category as 的. I expect a learner of
Japanese to twig to 的 and its productivity very early, but I don't expect
the same to go for 属 and 科. What goes for 国語辞典, conceived for
NSOJs, doesn't necessarily apply here.

BTW, I see GG5 has アザラシ科 as subhead under あざらし【海豹】.
It's indexed in the online edition.

Cheers

Jim

--
Jim Breen
Adjunct Snr Research Fellow, Clayton School of IT, Monash University
Treasurer: Hawthorn Rowing Club, Japanese Studies Centre
Graduate student: Language Technology Group, University of Melbourne