Browsing by Author "Muhur, Tsegay"

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    Assessment on the Standards and Uses of Tigriny a Dictionaries
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-06) Muhur, Tsegay; Leyew, Zelealem (PhD)
    Dictionaries are very essential in our everyday professional life. They provide us with valuable lexical information and are crucial reference/resource materials across all disciplines. Thus, upholding of their standard/quality and use appears to be paramount important in order to suit the needs of intended users. However, little or no empirical research has been done so far about the qualities and uses of Tigrinya dictionaries. The main purpose of this study is then to assess and describe the standard and uses of some selected Tigrinya dictionaries in the light of current theories and principles of lexicography. The total sample subjects are six Tigrinya dictionaries, three compilers, and hundred five Tigrinya-major students and ten Tigrinya teachers, from Addis Ababa and Mekelle Universities. Convenience sampling technique was used to select the dictionaries and the compilers, and systematic sampling technique to select the students, teachers, and the main entries from the dictionaries. For an overall look at some aspects of the dictionaries, purposive technique was also applied. Regarding data collection instrument, questionnaire (for the students and teachers), an interview (for the compilers), and a document/content analysis (for evaluation of the dictionaries) were used. The data obtained through these instruments were analyzed and interpreted in qualitative (in tables, graphs and descriptions) and quantitative (frequency distribution) methods as necessary. The overall result of the study shows the selected dictionaries lack principles and methods of lexicography. They are perceived nonstandard and are under utilized. The compilers of these dictionaries lack adequate experience and training on dictionary compilation. The study, therefore, implies Tigrinya dictionaries have to maintain the required properties/qualities of a standard dictionary. Compilers of such dictionaries need to attain necessary knowledge and skills of dictionary compilation, and training is required to users and the authors