LANGUAGE IN INDIA

IN MAKING ENGLISH-MANIPURI BILINGUAL DICTIONARY
Some Semantic Problems

Leihaorambam Sarbajit Singh , Ph.D.
Soibam Imoba Singh, Ph.D.

SEMANTIC PROBLEMS IN BILINGUAL LEXICOGRAPHY

In bilingual lexicography, semantic problem is the biggest one. Truly speaking, the meaning discrimination of headword is based on— definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and translations which are the essential information for the identification of headwords. In this regard, it is worth to remember that monolingual lexicographers do not face the problem of translation. Therefore, translation work is an extra activity for the bilingual lexicographers. It would also be wrong to assume that translation from source to target language is the only main task for a bilingual lexicographer. Bilingual lexicographer also has the same problem as that of monolingual dictionary maker.

The problems can be reduced to some extent if the languages are very closely related (linguistically and culturally). On the contrary, the problems cannot be solved so easily if the languages are very different in many respects like English and Manipuri. There are some words, which can easily be translated from one language to another; however thousands of words cannot be translated accurately. In such circumstances, bilingual lexicographers adopt the system of using— definitions, synonyms, antonyms, andexplanation of headwords as practiced by monolingual lexicographers.

A considerable number of single lexical units of the source language cannot exactly be corresponded to the target language, and therefore explanations of the headword in paraphrases become an essential property of bilingual dictionary in meaning discrimination.

MAKING A ENGLISH-MANIPURI DICTIONARY

Giving semantic information is the most complicated task in lexicography. However, it is indispensable for any dictionary. The monolingual dictionary deals with definition whereas bilingual dictionary with translation. Hence bilingual lexicography has more complex semantic systems. The degree of complexity also depends upon the languages, which are involved in the dictionary. The job in hand aggravates if the source and the target languages are from different language families. Such problem is observed to be prominent in making English-Manipuri Dictionary. The paper is an attempt to give the semantic problems confronted in making English to Manipuri Dictionary for Manipuri speakers.

DIFFICULTY IN FINDING EXACT EQUIVALENCES

It is not possible to give exact equivalent meaning from one language to another. This is why many bilingual dictionary compilers gave near equivalent meanings in the target language. On the other hand many words have their equivalents in the target language the basic meanings only, but their derived meanings and connotational meanings are absolutely different, for example, ¡¥unicorn¡¦ is an imaginary animal like a white horse with a long straight horn growing on its head. At this juncture, any English-Manipuri dictionary compiler will not be able to give its exact or near equivalent in Manipuri. Searching for such equivalent from English to Manipuri is very tedious. Frankly speaking, if the compiler has good command in both languages, then the dictionary will be highly helpful to the users.

NEAR EQUIVALENCES

We know that many English words have near equivalents in Manipuri. However, it is not a good policy to give only the near equivalents because the dictionary users do not know the semantic gap between the two words.

For example, the word breakfast¡¦ and the word used in Manipuri share similar semantic features. But the latter is usually for children's breakfast only, not for the breakfast of adults. In general, Manipuris enjoy only two meals in a day -- a meal in daytime (usually 9 a.m. to 12 noon) and another at nighttime (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.). The daytime meal of Manipuri can be corresponded to brunch in English. Most English-Manipuri dictionary compilers have treated brunch and lunch identically. Another example is hare and rabbit in English. Both words are given as the same word in Manipuri. But the above words are defined separately in Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary of Current English (Hornby, 2000) as: hare- an animal like rabbit but with longer ears and legs and able to run very fast, and rabbit - a small animal with grayish brown fur, long ears and short tail. Rabbit lives in holes in ground. It is to be noted that the bilingual lexicographer should define or illustrate the meaning of different words in the target language distinctly.

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