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MorphemeAddict@hidden.email wrote: > > I've been reading a lot recently about Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM). > Apparently a lot of words generally regarded as equivalent (cf. English > "friend" and Russian "drug") are actually quite different in the details. > Does Latejami "zoyzevaw", for example, embody the common denominator > (intersection) of all its glosses, or does it encompass the full meaning of every > gloss (union). In either case, it may not match up well with another language's > so-called equivalent. > > zoyzevaw - friend of, buddy, pal, chum, comrade, intimate. > > Defining Latejami words in terms of NSM would negate this English-language > bias. > > stevo > It's a Latejami-to-English dictionary. All X-to-English dictionaries will have the same bias. The only realistic alternative is to provide a complete definition, as in an English-to-English dictionary, but this would require a lot more work. I do not consider use of NSM practical because its definitions are long and sound infantile compared to normal dictionary definitions. Also, you really need to study NSM before you can use it with full understanding. In a Latejami definition, the initial glosses are the closest to the real meaning. If there are several glosses, the final ones are either approximate or are only occasional equivalents. Keep in mind that an MT interlingua cannot be overly precise. If it is, you will need a humongous dictionary so that every subtle shade of meaning can be accounted for. This would also make translation much more difficult. Regards, Rick Morneau http://www.eskimo.com/~ram