ANNOUNCEMENT:
Release of the online Dictionary of South African English (DSAE)
MOBILE EDITION
This release presents a data-rich historical dictionary model on smartphones
and tablets (iOS & Android supported, free access at http://dsae.co.za). It
marks the completion of a major digitisation phase from early pilot online
editions to a fully-fledged web application thoroughly adapted for Desktop and
Mobile devices. The same advanced feature set is available on both platforms.
The dictionary was first published in print as A Dictionary of South African
English on Historical Principles (Oxford University Press, 1996) – a 25-year
project documenting the development of regional English usage over three
centuries. It contains 4600 main entries with 45 000
bibliographically-referenced quotations covering 17 500 word forms and their
histories, including first recorded use.
Following extensive digital enhancements, dictionary users can now manipulate
this unrivalled record of the language variety as a structured database. Words
can be grouped in dictionary ‘slices’, e.g. by date of entry into the language
using an interactive visual slider, or filtered by language of origin, subject
or usage category (with over 180 subcategories in all). Individual word
histories – often spanning centuries – can also be navigated visually by word
sense or quotation evidence, revealing developmental patterns previously
submerged in the written text.
Key features:
• Fully responsive design, rescales to preserve advanced Desktop features on
Android & iOS (most modern browsers supported)
• Graphical presentation & navigation of word histories and source quotation
data (data aggregation devices reveal new insights and relations)
• Navigate complex entries structurally, not only by sequential reading of text
• Powerful filtering options presented in a simple way: no unwieldy ‘advanced
search’ forms to complete; stack or unstack search filters easily without
cognitive overload
• Refine search & filter results by date span with a visual slider; sort
entries (or the entire unfiltered dictionary) by year of first recorded use.
To access the dictionary, go to http://dsae.co.za.
The online DSAE is a project of the Dictionary Unit for South African English
in Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa.
Web: www.ru.ac.za/dsae/<http://www.ru.ac.za/dsae/>
Email: dsae@xxxxxxxx<mailto:dsae@xxxxxxxx>
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Tim van Niekerk
Executive Director
Dictionary Unit for S.A. English (DSAE)
St Peter's Building, Rhodes University
P.O. Box 94 Makhanda (Grahamstown) 6140
South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)46 603 7296
Fax: +27 (0)46 603 8107
www.ru.ac.za/dsae/<http://www.ru.ac.za/dsae/>
