A critical analysis of multilingual dictionaries

Abstract

This article evaluates the lexicographic value of multilingual dictionaries. Dictionaries covering three or more languages spoken in South Africa are taken as a case in point. An attempt will be made to reflect on their merits and shortcomings as reference works and learning tools but the focus will be on presumed shortcomings in the macro and micro structures of such dictionaries with special attention to the lemmatisation of common words, quality of the dictionary articles and consistency in presentation.

In hierdie artikel word die leksikografiese waarde van veeltalige woordeboeke geëvalueer. Woordeboeke wat drie of meer tale wat in Suid-Afrika gepraat word leksikografies bewerk, dien as voorbeeld. Daar sal gepoog word om hulle sterk punte en tekortkominge as naslaanbronne en aanleerhulpmiddels te omskryf. Klem sal gelê word op veronderstelde tekortkominge in die makro- en mikrostrukture van sulke woordeboeke met spesifieke verwysing na die lemmatisering van algemeen gebruikte woorde, kwaliteit van die woordeboekartikels en konsekwentheid in die aanbieding.