 | The Dictonary |
| Ummmmm... might help if it worked. |
| Re: The Dictonary |
|
Hey it works fine, but like all these things there are some rules you need to know to get the best out of it. Most words are only listed in the dictionary in a standard form, rather than all the possible cases, numbers, genders and tenses that could be applied. (1) Nouns should be presented only in the nominative singular, unless the plural has a special meaning. For example it finds ντομάτα = tomato, but not ντομάτες = tomatoes. (2) Adjectives should be presented only in the nominative masculine singular. For example it finds κόκκινος = red (m), but not κόκκινα = red ![[[no]]](http://www.kypros.org/LearnGreek/pix/s/no.gif){kind=small} .(3) Verbs should be presented only in the first person present indicitive. For example it finds θέλω = Ι want, but not θέλετε = You want. These kind of restrictions are not uncommon, if only to keep the size of the word list manageable. You should also make sure of your spelling as its not a phonetic dictionary. If you've only heard rather than read the word, this could mean trying quite a few alternatives. Problems come when you're stuck with a word and are not sure how to generate the standard form. Perhaps the case / gender / tense of the word is unknown. I don't think there's an easy answer and it can be very frustrating trying to guess. Only two practical suggestions occur to me - either try another online dictionary which may be more flexible or buy a printed one. A printed word list allows you to scan for words of similar spelling and hopefully meaning. This dictionary, unlike some, is tolerant of misplaced or missing accents. And of course it does not list all words and some of its translations can only be descibed as idiosyncratic. |
