Dictionary

The dictionary is one of JWPce's most powerful features. This online dictionary will function as a Japanese->English, or English->Japanese dictionary. Further, the dictionary search engine allows you to add any number of supplemental dictionaries to the system. Finally, JWPce allows you to create your own dictionary for entries that are not in the dictionaries provided.

The main dictionaries used by JWPce (EDICT and ENAMDICT) were developed primarily by James William Breen who holds their copyrights. He has my thanks and appreciation for all his work and for making them available for use in JWPce.

  • Basic Dictionary Searches
  • What you can Search for
  • Searching for Verbs
  • Pattern Searches
  • Special Searches
  • Limiting the Search
  • Searching and Results
  • Advanced Dictionary Searches
  • User Dictionary
  • Adding or Editing Entries
  • Adding Entries to EDICT
  • Dictionary Options
  • Advanced Search Options
  • Dictionaries
  • Adding or Editing a Dictionary
  • The Classical Japanese Dictionary
  • Enabling the Classical Dictionary
  • Understanding the results from CLASSICAL
  • Searching for jodoushi, particles and other pieces of grammar
  • Adding Entries to CLASSICAL
  • INDEX: Contents
  • PREV: Working with Kanji
  • NEXT: Working with Files

  • Basic Dictionary Searches

    A basic dictionary search is performed by executing the Utilities/Dictionary... menu command, the Dictionary... command from the popup menu, selecting the Dictionary button on the toolbar, or the Ctrl+D or F6 keyboard commands. Any of these commands will open the Dictionary dialog (below).


    Tip: If you select the text to search for before opening the Dictionary dialog, JWPce will automatically load the Word to Lookup edit box with the selected text. Further, if the
    Auto-Search option is selected (on by default), JWPce will automatically search for the selected text. This is really convenient!

    Remember, the dictionary dialog is dynamic. If you increase the size of the dialog additional controls will be added. All of these controls are on the Dictionary Options dialog, and include Classical, Full ASCII, JASCII = ASCII, Track Clipboard, Sort Priority, and all of the advanced search options (Always Search, Show All, i-Adjective, and Mark). .

    After executing a search the list control will automatically be activated. If you want to execute another search, you do not need to select the Word to Lookup edit box. You can simply start typing another word (or press the cursor controls), and JWPce will automatically transfer control to the edit control.


    What you can Search for

    The Word to Lookup edit box and input mode control are used to specify what you want to search for. If the string you enter in the Word to Lookup edit box is in English, the dictionary will function as an English->Japanese dictionary. If the string is in Japanese the dictionary will function as a Japanese->English dictionary. If the string contains both English and Japanese characters an error will occur and the search will fail.


    Tip: Tip: Remember the dictionary keeps track of the last several searches you have executed. You can recall these using the
    history function.

    In order to make searching the dictionaries efficient and keep the index files to a reasonable size, JWPce requires that you enter a certain number of characters before you can search the dictionary. The search requirements are as follows:

    character typenumber required
    English (ASCII) 3
    kana2
    kanji1

    In a dictionary search, no distinction is made between hiragana and katakana; consequently, the search on or will yield the same results.


    WARNING! You must be careful when searching for a combination of kanji and kana. For example, you can search on either or , and find that this is the word for school. If, however, you search on or the search will fail. This is because these half kana and half kanji combinations are unusual spellings for this word. In comparison, searches for and will indicate that this is the same word, meaning, "to return home".


    Searching for Verbs

    When using the dictionary as an English->Japanese dictionary, you can search for verbs by prefixing the search word with “to “.

    For example if you were to search for swim, you would get 62 matches. Searching for to swim, would result in the following matches:


    Pattern Searches

    You can search for words using patterns. Pattern searches must contain at least one kanji, but may contain any number of the following special characters (which may be entered in ASCII or JASCII), and any kana you want.

    CharacterMeaning
    *Any number of characters, including zero.
    ?Any single characters.
    [Matches only the beginning of a word (same as setting the Begin With option).
    ]Matches only the end of a word (same as setting the End With option).

    Pattern searches can be very useful for locating a word when you cannot clearly read or do not know one kanji amongst some others.

    As an example of pattern searches, searching for would result in:

    Where searching for would result in:


    Special Searches

    JWPce allows a special search for the combination of (must be in JASCII, but can be entered in kanji mode). This search will display the ID for many of the dictionaries installed on your system. This can be used to check the dictionary versions.


    Limiting the Search

    There are three check boxes on the Dictionary dialog box that can be used to limit the search and make using the dictionary easier. For example, if you simply search for , you will get 606 matches!. If you select all three check boxes and search again, you will get only 4 entries!

    The check boxes have the following effects:

    Begin WithRequires that the search string be located at the beginning of the word.
    End WithRequires that the search sting be located at the end of the word.
    No Names Excludes personal and place names from the search (except for some very common place names such a Tokyo).

    Continuing the example above, selecting Begin With would allow the search for to match and , but not match . Selecting End With would allow the same search to match and , but not match (see warning below). Combining both the Begin With and End With options would only match .


    WARNING! Because of the way the dictionaries are currently indexed, searches on kana strings always behave as if the Begin With option is checked (not as in the example above). Searches on kanji or English text do behave as described above.

    Selecting both the No Names option will cause the dictionary not to search any name dictionaries. This can significantly speed up dictionary searches on slower systems.

    There are additional dictionary search limits that can be enabled in the Dictionary Options dialog.

    Related Topics


    * Some very common places such as Tokyo are still included in the search.


    Searching and Results

    You can start a search by selecting the Search button or pressing Enter, and abort the search by pressing the ESC key.

    As the search executes, you will see messages in the area located directly under the Word to Lookup text. The most common messages are a simple status messages - the message "No Matches!" (indicating that the search yielded no results), or a count.

    The count displays the number of matches found, and the number of rejected entries. The rejected count indicates the number of matches that were rejected because they did not match the limits you set (also see).*

    The results of the search will be displayed in the Results Japanese list box, where you can use all of the list box manipulations to work with the results.

    A number of special codes are contained in the dictionary entries. These codes indicate grammatical or other characteristics of the entry. The exact codes are particular to the dictionary. The dominant codes are defined by EDICT and ENAMDICT (most other dictionaries use the same or similar codes).

    Dictionary entry codes for EDICT (main dictionary).

    CodeInterpretation
    abbrabbreviation
    adjadjective (keiyoushi)
    advadverb (fukushi)
    adj-naadjectival nouns or quasi-adjectives (keiyodoshi)
    adj-nonouns which may take the genitive case particle "no"
    adj-pnpre-noun adjectival (rentaishi)
    adj-sspecial adjective (e.g. ookii)
    adj-t"taru" adjective
    archarchaism
    auxauxiliary word or phrase
    aux-vauxiliary verb
    conjconjunction
    colcolloquialism
    expExpressions (phrases, clauses, etc.)
    ekexclusively kanji, rarely just in kana
    famfamiliar language
    femfemale term or language
    gikungikun (meaning) reading
    gramgrammatical term
    honhonorific or respectful (sonkeigo) language
    humhumble (kenjougo) language
    ididiomatic expression
    intinterjection (kandoushi)
    iKword containing irregular kanji usage
    ikword containing irregular kana usage
    ioirregular okurigana usage
    MAmartial arts term
    Malemale term or language
    m-slmanga slang
    nnoun (common) (futsuumeishi)
    n-advadverbial noun (fukushitekimeishi)
    n-tnoun (temporal) (jisoumeishi)
    n-sufnoun, used as a suffix
    negnegative (in a negative sentence, or with negative verb)
    neg-vnegative verb (when used with)
    obsobsolete term
    obscobscure term
    oKword containing out-dated kanji
    okout-dated or obsolete kana usage
    polpolite (teineigo) language
    prefprefix
    qvquod vide (see another entry)
    slslang
    sufsuffix
    uKword usually written using kanji alone
    ukword usually written using kana alone
    v1Ichidan verb
    v5Godan verb (not completely classified)
    v5uGodan verb with `u' ending
    v5kGodan verb with `ku' ending
    v5gGodan verb with `gu' ending
    v5sGodan verb with `su' ending
    v5tGodan verb with `tsu' ending
    v5nGodan verb with `nu' ending
    v5bGodan verb with `bu' ending
    v5mGodan verb with `mu' ending
    v5rGodan verb with `ru' ending
    v5k-sGodan verb - Iku/Yuku special class
    v5zGodan verb - -zuru special class (alternative form of -jiru verbs)
    v5aruGodan verb - -aru special class
    v5uruGodan verb - Uru old class verb (old form of Eru)
    viintransitive verb
    vsnoun or participle which takes the aux. verb suru
    vs-ssuru verb - special class
    vkKuru verb - special class
    vttransitive verb
    vulgvulgar expression or word
    Xrude or X-rated term (not displayed in educational software)

    Dictionary entry codes used by ENAMDICT (name dictionary).

    codeinterpretation
    ffemale given name
    ggiven name, as yet not classified by sex
    mmale given name
    pplace-name
    ssurname
    uperson name, as yet unclassified

    Related Topics


    * The number of rejected entries may not be quite accurate. If you have selected No Names, or No Personal Names and No Place Names, name dictionaries (such as ENAMDICT) will not even be searched, and thus will not be counted in the rejected entries.

    Filtered entries are not indicated in the count in order to make searches run faster. The dictionaries may contain more than one meaning for an entry, and it is possible that JWPce may exclude part of an entry because it conflicts with the search limits that you set. Such an entry is said to have been filtered.


    Advanced Dictionary Searches

    If the Advanced check box is selected JWPce will execute an advanced dictionary search. This type of search causes JWPce to automatically check for conjugation of verbs and additives and to find the best match to the search string you have provided.

    It is actually easier to understand what the search is doing by following some examples. In the first case lets assume you are reading text and come across the following text (reading). If you didn't know this word and simply selected the entire text into the dictionary, no matches would be found. If you enabled the Advanced search, the following match would be found:

    Here, the dictionary has realized that this is simply the te-form of a verb.

    As a second example, consider the case where you encounter a long string of hiragana and you are unsure of where the words break. If you take the search pattern , a simple search will yield no matches, but an advanced search will yield the following results:

    (the first one is actually correct).

    Advanced Search Results

    The advanced search can yield many false matches (particularly if End With is disabled). To make best use of the results it is important to know that generally the more probable matches will be placed earlier in the list. Also remember that normal search limit options work with the advanced search.

    Normally the advanced search algorithm processes the search pattern you provided in stages, looking for matches to successively shorter pieces of the search string. The search will normally stop at the longest search string that can be found. Various options that determine how the advanced search will be conducted are located in the Dictionary Options dialog.


    User Dictionary

    No matter how big or how good or how many dictionaries you have, you will encounter words that are not in them, and words that are not translated quite correctly. To assist in these cases, JWPce allows you to generate a user dictionary, containing entries that you define.

    The User Dictionary dialog box can be entered from the Dictionary dialog box or from the Dictionary Options dialog box (see below).

    This dialog box consists of a Japanese edit-list set of controls for manipulating the user dictionary. You can use these controls to arrange entries in the dictionary, delete entries, edit entries, add entries, sort entries in kana order, and import entries.*

    When user dictionary entries are displayed as the result of a dictionary search, they are displayed in the highlight color to set them apart.


    * You can import another user dictionary into your user dictionary by selecting the Import button or by dragging the dictionary file (user.dct) onto the User Dictionary dialog.


    Adding or Editing Entries

    If you edit or add a user entry to the dictionary, you will see a dialog box containing three edit boxes, and a control for setting the input mode.

    The Kana edit box should contain the kana representation for the entry. This edit box must contain a kana string.

    The Kanji edit box should contain the kanji representation of the entry. If the entry does not have a kanji representation, this box should be empty. Further, remember to include the okurigana (part of the word written in kana) in this box.

    The Meaning edit box is an English-only edit box and should contain the meaning(s) for the entry. Multiple meanings should be separated by the "/" (slash) character. Further, you should attempt to use the codes that are appropriate for the entry. (Codes should be entered in parentheses, and separated by commas.)


    Tip: If you select text (either in the Dictionary dialog, in your file, or in an edit control), JWPce will automatically place this text in the Kana or Kanji control. This can make generating user entries much easier.

    WARNING! JWPce will allow you to use extended ASCII in the meaning field for the user dictionary (this allows use of accented characters as defined by the code page used by your system). This ability deviates from the EDICT specifications as defined by Jim Breen. If you use this feature, your dictionary files may not be interpreted appropriately by other software!


    Adding Entries to EDICT

    EDICT is a cooperative effort, built upon the contributions of many different people. If you accumulate dictionary entries in your user dictionary, they can be sent to Jim Breen, who can add them to EDICT. They will eventually be included in the indexed dictionary, allowing faster searching. The combined contributions of many different users will work to enhance the quality of the dictionary for everyone.

    Contributing to EDICT

    You can send your JWPce user dictionary file to Jim Breen to have it included in EDICT. Before sending contributions, please make sure you have the newest version of EDICT (http://ftp.cc.monash.edu.au/pub/nihongo/00INDEX.html) so you do not suggest additions that have already been made.

    Users intending to make submissions to EDICT should follow the following simple rules:*

    Actually Contributing to EDICT

    You can contributed to EDICT by sending your user dictionary (user.dic) to:

    Jim Breen
    (jwb@csse.monash.edu.au)
    School of Computer Science & Software Engineering
    Monash University
    Clayton 3168
    AUSTRALIA

    Additional Information

    If you would like to make additional suggestions concerning EDICT, please read the EDICT.doc file included with the distribution of EDICT for instructions.


    * These were simplified from Jim Breen's EDICT.doc file. I have removed rules that JWPce enforces.


    Dictionary Options

    The Dictionary Options dialog box allows you to control a number of options used in searching the dictionaries. The dialog box can be entered by choosing the Options button from the Dictionary dialog.

    The Dictionary Options dialog box contains a number of controls:


    Advanced Search Options

    These options allow you to modify the operation of the advanced search. To understand these options it is important to understand how the advanced search operates and how it determines when to stop searching.

    With the Advanced Search option selected, the search procedure attempts to match the current search string, then applies a number of grammatical rules to it and tries to match the results. If no matches are generated, the end character is removed from the search string and the whole process is tried again. Normally this repeats until either there are no more characters in the search string, or a number of possible matches have been found.

    The following options are effect the advanced search:


    Dictionaries

    JWPce has the ability to search any number of dictionaries. Exactly which dictionaries JWPce knows about and searches is determined by the Searched Dictionaries dialog. You get to this dialog box by clicking on the Dictionaries button in the Dictionary Options dialog.

    To understand how to work with dictionaries, it is helpful first to understand how JWPce deals with dictionaries*. A dictionary to JWPce, consists of a file with a format specified by Jim Breen. Dictionaries come in two varieties, indexed and unindexed dictionaries. An indexed dictionary comes with an index file (which has the extension .jdx). The index file allows JWPce to jump to specific points in the dictionary. This is important in allowing a large dictionary to be searched quickly.

    An unindexed dictionary does not contain an index file. JWPce must search through the entire dictionary to find an entry. This type of search is slower, but it is easier to add and remove entries from the dictionary (since the index does not need to be updated).

    By default JWPce has four dictionaries in the list:

    dictionarydescription
    CLASSICALClassical Japanese dictionary. This dictionary is optional (unindexed).
    EDICTThis is the main dictionary, it contains around 65,000 general usage words (indexed).
    ENAMDICTThis is the main name dictionary, it contains around 168,000 Japanese place and personal names. This dictionary is optional (indexed).
    user.dctThis is the user dictionary. It will be generated if you store an entry in the user dictionary (unindexed).

    * Jim Breen specifies the format of the dictionary files in the EDICT.DOC file. This file can usually be obtained from the same place you got EDICT.

    Searched Dictionaries List

    The list in the Searched Dictionaries dialog box lists contains all the dictionaries that JWPce knows about. The order of the dictionaries in the list determines the order that dictionaries will be searched. The dialog box provides controls for moving dictionaries up or down in the list, removing, adding, modifying entries, or resetting the list back to the default values.

    Only dictionaries that have a check in front of them can be searched. Thus you can disable a dictionary without removing it from the list by removing the checkmark. Just because a dictionary is checked does not mean it will be searched. For example, classical dictionaries are only searched if Classical is selected, and name dictionaries are not searched is you have selected No Names.

    The dictionary list displays a lot of information about each dictionary. This includes:

    Format:The dictionary encoding format.
    EUCDictionary is encoding using EUC (Extended Unix Code). This is the traditional EDICT format. This is a fast searching format, but cannot represent all language systems. Generally it is suitable for English and western European languages.
    MixedSpecial format used by JWPce. The Japanese part of the dictionary is encoded in EUC, but the meaning part is encoded using the current Windows codepage. This format is convenient, and is used by JWPce for the USER dictionary, but the format is dependent on the local machine codepage, so may not be best for distribution.
    UTF-8The entire dictionary is encoded in UTF-8. This supports all languages of the world. UTF-8 dictionaries are slightly bigger and search slightly slower, but this is a generally not a problem.
    .
    Type: Indicates how the dictionary is to be searched.
    IdxDictionary is indexed and should be searched using the index. This is the fastest search system, but requires an index files and thus makes changing the dictionary complicated.
    BufBuffered dictionaries are a variant on memory dictionaries. These dictionaries are searched without using an index, but instead of loading the entire dictionary into memory at one time part of the dictionary is loaded at a time. This saves on system resources at the cost of a slightly slower search.
    MemDictionary is searched in memory. This does not require an index, and thus provides the most flexibility. Further, searches in this type of dictionary are not limited by the indexing of the dictionary.
    .
    Names: Indicates if the dictionary contains names. JWPce can optimize some searches by knowing if the dictionary contains names.
    OnlyDictionary only contains names. This type of dictionary will not be searched if you select No Names.
    NoDictionary does not contain name. Currently this is not used, but may be used in the future.
    YesDictionary does contain names. Currently this is not used, but may be used in the future.
    .
    Special: Indicates any special characteristics of the dictionary.
    ---Indicates nothing special.
    ClassicalIndicates a classical Japanese dictionary. This type of dictionary has a slightly different format, and will only be searched when Classical is selected.
    USERThis is the user dictionary. You cannot delete this dictionary, nor can you adjust some of the characteristics of this dictionary. You can, however, change the location.
    .
    Keep: Stands for Keep Open. This instructs JWPce to keep the dictionary open instead of opening and closing it for each search. This can save time, but can lock access to dictionary files.
    ---Don’t keep the dictionary open.
    YesDo keep the dictionary open.
    .
    Quiet: Stands for quiet handling of errors. Generally you should not turn this on. JWPce does for certain dictionaries to handle the way different people install JWPce. Setting this option will prevent JWPce from generating error messages if the dictionary is missing or cannot be accessed. Generally, this is not what you want to do.
    ---Handle errors normally.
    YesSuppress missing file and access errors.
    .
    File Name: Actual file name associate with the dictionary. Note the index file (if it exists), has the same name, but with the extension .jdx.


    Adding or Editing a Dictionary

    You can add dictionaries to the dictionary list by selecting the Add button on the Searched Dictionaries dialog, or by dragging and dropping the dictionary files onto the dialog. You can modify a dictionary by selecting the Edit button. Unless you drag-and-drop, JWPce will open the Edit Supplemental Dictionary dialog. In the case of drag-and-drop the Edit Supplemental Dictionary dialog will only be open if JWPce detects a problem with the dictionary.

    This dialog box allows you to control the parameters for the dictionary. The top set of controls provide basic characteristics of the dictionary.

    NameName used for the dictionary. This is for your reference and has nothing to do with anything else. In Auto mode JWPce will initialize this with the meaning field of the first entry in the dictionary.
    AutoSelecting this button causes JWPce to automatically fill in as many fields as possible.
    FileIndicates the file location of the dictionary. Index files must be in the same location as the dictionary and have the extension .jdx.
    Browse*Opens an open file dialog and allows you to locate the dictionary file.
    (no name) This Japanese edit control displays the meaning field of the first entry in the dictionary. For many dictionaries, this contains the version ID of the dictionary, for others, this is just the first entry.
    RefreshUpdates the Japanese edit control.

    The next group of controls are a set of radio buttons, that determine the basic characteristics of the dictionary.

    Format:The dictionary encoding format.
    EUCDictionary is encoding using EUC (Extended Unix Code). This is the traditional EDICT format. This is a fast searching format, but cannot represent all language systems. Generally it is suitable for English and western European languages.
    UTF-8The entire dictionary is encoded in UTF-8. This supports all languages of the world. UTF-8 dictionaries are slightly bigger and search slightly slower, but this is a generally not a problem.
    MixedSpecial format used by JWPce. The Japanese part of the dictionary is encoded in EUC, but the meaning part is encoded using the current Windows codepage. This format is convenient, and is used by JWPce for the USER dictionary, but the format is dependent on the local machine codepage, so may not be best for distribution.
    .
    Type: Indicates how the dictionary is to be searched.
    IndexedDictionary is indexed and should be searched using the index. This is the fastest search system, but requires an index files and thus makes changing the dictionary complicated.
    MemoryDictionary is searched in memory. This does not require an index, and thus provides the most flexibility. Further, searches in this type of dictionary are not limited by the indexing of the dictionary.
    BufferedBuffered dictionaries are a variant on memory dictionaries. These dictionaries are searched without using an index, but instead of loading the entire dictionary into memory at one time part of the dictionary is loaded at a time. This saves on system resources at the cost of a slightly slower search.
    .
    Names: Indicates if the dictionary contains names. JWPce can optimize some searches by knowing if the dictionary contains names.
    No NamesDictionary does not contain name. Currently this is not used, but may be used in the future.
    Has NamesDictionary does contain names. Current;y this is not used, but may be used in the future.
    Names OnlyDictionary only contains names. This type of dictionary will not be searched if you select No Names.

    Next are a series of checkboxes that control some options for each dictionary:

    Search this DictionaryIf checked, this dictionary can be search. Remember that this does not necessarily mean the dictionary will be searched. For example, classical dictionaries are only searched if Classical is set.
    Quiet Handling of ErrorsGenerally you should not turn this on. JWPce does for certain dictionaries to handle the way different people install JWPce. Setting this option will prevent JWPce from generating error messages if the dictionary is missing or cannot be accessed. Generally, this is not what you want to do.
    Keep Dictionary OpenThis instructs JWPce to keep the dictionary open instead of opening and closing it for each search. This can save time, but can lock access to dictionary files.
    Classical DictionaryIndicates a classical Japanese dictionary. This type of dictionary has a slightly different format, and will only be searched when Classical is selected.
    User DictionaryThis indicates the user dictionary. You can add entries to this dictionary while in JWPce. You cannot delete this dictionary, nor can you control most of the settings used by it. You cannot change the state of this control. It is provided only for information.

    After you select OK, JWPce will check the dictionary for consistency, and report any errors.


    * Due to limitations on Windows CE PPC machines, you can use the Browse button to locate a dictionary only if it has been placed in the /My Documents directory (or a subdirectory of /My Documents). You can still put a supplemental dictionary somewhere else, but if you, do you must enter the full path yourself.


    The Classical Japanese Dictionary

    CLASSICAL is an electronic dictionary for classical Japanese. The development of CLASSICAL is very much a work in progress.


    WARNING! This section deals an electronic dictionary for classical Japanese. The discussion here assumes that your are familiar with classical Japanese, and makes no attempt to introduce the basic concepts of the field. If you are just learning modern Japanese, it is highly suggested that you skip this section!

    This section contains only an introduction to the classical Japanese dictionary. For additional information please see the CLASSICAL.EUC file. This is an EUC encoded file (you can read it by loading it into JWPce) that describes CLASSICAL in detail, and includes many more examples that could be included here.


    Enabling the Classical Dictionary

    Selecting the Classical checkbox on the Dictionary Options dialog enables the classical dictionary and the classical search options. When the classical dictionary is enabled two major changes occur. First, the order in which the dictionaries are searched changes. Second, some classical searching options are enabled to allow special searching modes for jodoushi.

    When the classical dictionary is enabled it is always the first dictionary search. Further, to differentiate entries from the classical dictionary they are shown in the highlight color. Normally, this would be followed by a search of EDICT, ENAMDICT, any supplemental dictionaries, and finally the user dictionary (which is also shown in the highlight color).


    Understanding the results from CLASSICAL

    With the exception of searching for searching for jodoushi (and other parts of grammar), the results of a CLASSICAL search are basically identical to normal searches, except there are some additional dictionary entry codes:
    codeInterpretation
    adv-partAdverbial particle
    case-partCase particle
    comb-partCombination particle
    conj-partConjunctive particle
    emo-partEmotive particle
    exc-partExclamative particle
    fin-partFinal particle
    kamiichiKami-ichi-dan verb
    kaminiKami-ni-dan verb
    kuKu-adjective
    makuraMakura kotoba (kind of set phrase used in poetry)
    nahenIrregular na-verb
    prePrefix
    postPostfix
    rahenIrregular ra-verb
    sahenIrregular sa-verb
    set phraseA set phrase
    shikuShiku-adjective
    shimoichiShimo-ichi-dan verb
    shimoniShimo-ni-dan verb
    yoYo-dan verb


    Searching for jodoushi, particles and other pieces of grammar

    The classical Japanese dictionary contains an extensive collection of grammatical entries, as well as complete entries for particles and jodoushi, with conjugations, and usage rules.

    Generally, to search for a part of grammar one only has to place a character in front of it. For example, to search for the jodoushi one would search for . The results of this search would be:

    This is actually quite a complicated result that indicates many of the characteristics of the classical dictionary. First, we notice that there are two separate entries for the jodoushi . The first entry indicates how would be conjugated when following the rentaikei of a rahen verb. Similarly, the second entry shows how would be conjugated following the shuushikei of any other verb.

    If we look at the individual entries above we will notice within the square brackets there are six entries separated by slashes. These correspond to the conjugations of under the six classical bases (mizenkei, renyoukei, shuushikei, rentaikei, izenkei, and meireikei).

    The final thing we can see in the entries above is a modern Japanese equivalent contained in curly braces {}. These are included, because sometimes an actual Japanese equivalent can convey the meaning much better than a description in English.

    Searching for particles, prefixes, postfixes, etc. is basically the same. Prefix what you want to search for with a character and search. For example, searching on will yield the following results:

    These are both usages of the particle of the particle .

    The real power of the system comes when you don't know the exact grammatical from you are looking for. For example, if you are reading along and come to a at the end of a word and you don't know what it is, you could search for . This will give the results:

    From examining this list we can see that could be a case particle, a conjunctive particle, the renyoukei of the jodoushi nu, or the, the renyoukei of the jodoushi nari. It then becomes your job to try to determine which of the meanings is the correct one based on the context.


    Adding Entries to CLASSICAL

    CLASSICAL is a cooperative effort, built upon the contributions of many different people. If you accumulate dictionary entries in your user dictionary, these entries can be sent to me, and I will add them to CLASSICAL. This will eventually include them in the dictionary. The combined contributions of many different users will work to enhance the quality of the dictionary for everyone.

    You can send your JWPce user dictionary file me for inclusion in CLASSICAL. Before sending contributions, please make sure you have the newest version of CLASSICAL ( http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~grosenth/jwpce.html) so you do not suggest additions that have already been made.

    Users intending to make submissions to CLASSICAL should follow the following simple rules (I borrowed most of these suggestions from Jim Breen's EDICT.doc file):

    You can contribute to CLASSICAL by sending your user dictionary (user.dic) to:

    Glenn Rosenthal
    (grosenthal@physics.ucla.edu)


    Next Chapter: Working with Files