JPH0410060A - Electronic foreign language dictionary retrieving system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently utilize a dictionary by registering a retrieval key composed of Japanese to a storing means as a dictionary data base corresponding to an index word extracted from the semantic description part of Japanese in respect to the foreign language of a foreign language - Japanese dictionary. CONSTITUTION:A storing means 3 is provided to store the dictionary data base, and a registering means 2 is provided to automatically generates the retrieval key composed of a foreign language word as the index word extracted from the foreign language - Japanese dictionary and Japanese corresponding to the index word extracted from the semantic description part of Japanese in respect to the foreign language of the foreign language - Japanese dictionary and to register the retrieval key as the dictionary data base together with the word data of the foreign language - Japanese dictionary. On the other hand, a retrieval executing means 5 is provided to retrieve a desired word record from the data base stored in the storing means 3 based on the retrieval key inputted in the case of retrieval. Thus, since the description composed of Japanese corresponding to the index word automatically, namely, mechanically extracted from the semantic description part of Japanese in respect to the foreign language of the existent foreign language - Japanese dictionary is defined as the retrieval key, the foreign language - Japanese dictionary can be retrieved by the meaning of Japanese.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a search method for electronic dictionaries, and more particularly to a foreign language electronic dictionary search method for searching for foreign language words based on specific attributes of the words. .

[Conventional technology]

With the wide-ranging progress of internationalization that has become remarkable in recent years, opportunities to use foreign languages are increasing more and more, and the use of foreign language dictionaries, which are the basis of foreign language learning, is becoming more and more important.

As a typical example of the above-mentioned diversification in the usability of dictionaries, so-called electronic dictionaries have been attracting attention.

Electronic dictionaries have been developed and improved in response to changes in the office processing environment, such as the spread of word processors as a means of office processing, including document creation in homes and offices, and the spread of workstations in offices. ing.

However, most of the electronic dictionaries that are currently in practical use are simply electronic versions of booklet-type printed dictionaries;

By only unilaterally searching for items such as pronunciation, parts of speech, usage examples, etc., it is not enough to take full advantage of the benefits of digitization (for example, instant access that supports multiple search keys, which is one of the characteristics of electronic file searches). I can't say that it exists.

Furthermore, conventional electronic dictionaries have a low degree of freedom when it comes to the expression of search keys; for example, most English-Japanese dictionaries cannot be searched without inputting the exact English spelling of the headword.

As a countermeasure, JP-A-57-161970 made it possible to search using attributes other than headwords (katakana notation or alphabetical notation) as a search key, giving more freedom to searches.
2. Description of the Related Art Dictionary search devices disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-100864 are known.

The above technology involves manually creating and registering a word record that matches the phonetic symbol of a foreign language word in katakana or alphabetical notation with the word, without knowing the spelling of the foreign language. It also makes it possible to search.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional technology disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, it is possible to search for a desired foreign language using phonetic symbols as a search key without knowing the spelling of the foreign language. If you don't know the spelling, you can't search, and manually registering the phonetic spelling for every word takes a lot of effort and is impractical.

An object of the present invention is to improve the usability of foreign language dictionaries by making it possible to search for foreign language words from the Japanese meaning notation in a foreign language-Japanese dictionary.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is to provide a storage means for storing a dictionary database;
A search key consisting of the foreign word that is the headword from the foreign language-Japanese dictionary and the Japanese word that corresponds to the headword extracted from the Japanese meaning notation section for the foreign word in the foreign language-Japanese dictionary is automatically searched. a registration means for generating and registering the word data (word records) of the foreign language-Japanese dictionary in the storage means as a dictionary database; and a database stored in the storage means based on the search key input at the time of search. This is achieved by providing a search execution means for searching for a desired word record.

[Effect]

By using as a search key the notation consisting of the Japanese word corresponding to the headword automatically or mechanically extracted from the Japanese meaning notation section for the foreign word in the existing foreign language-Japanese dictionary, the foreign language-Japanese dictionary can be searched. The word dictionary is searched based on the Japanese meaning.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an English-Japanese dictionary search system, in which 1 is a character input means, 2 is a registration means, 3 is a storage means, 4 is a user interface, and 5 is a system configuration. It is a search execution means.

The character input means 1 consists of an original dictionary 11 that converts a normal (existing) English-Japanese dictionary into a form that can be processed by a computer and stores it in a computer-readable medium such as a magnetic tape, and a character input section 12. The contents of the stored English-Japanese dictionary are read out and supplied to the registration means 2 as a data stream ST for each word.

The registration means 2 receives a data stream ST of each word of the dictionary supplied from the character input means 1, and structurally decomposes the data stream ST to generate a record in a form that can be processed by a computer.

The format of one word supplied from the character input means 1 to the registration means 2 is, for example, "Headword Importance symbol and pronunciation symbol" Part of speech 1 Japanese meaning of part of speech 1 Idiom Part of speech n Japanese meaning of part of speech n Idioms Usage ------1 Line break symbol This is a data stream containing the contents of the original dictionary as is.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the structure of a word record in which the data stream ST (hereinafter simply referred to as stream ST) is decomposed into each item or attribute by the registration means 2 and generated in a form that can be processed by a computer. Input means 1
The empty stream ST with records 21 of each item thereof,
For words rlistJ as headword examples, symbols for their importance (for example, words that should be learned at high school level are *, words that should be learned at middle school level are **), pronunciation [1ist],
It is broken down into part-of-speech items, and for the part-of-speech items, in this case, assuming that there are nouns and transitive verbs (actually, there are also intransitive verbs), record 22- of part-of-speech 1 whose part-of-speech is noun is
1 and a record 22-2 of part of speech 2 whose part of speech is a transitive verb.

The record 22-1 for part of speech 1 is the part of speech item "noun."

The Japanese meaning of the item is ``roster'', and the example item is rHer.
name is,, J, idiomatic phrase item rmak
record 22-2 for part of speech 2 has part of speech item ``transitive verb'' 8 meaning item ``table (to do)'' and example item 10. ++ are decomposed into ``word rlist'', the meaning items are extracted and registered as a search key in the search key storage area (key) 31 of the storage means 3 shown in FIG.
-1, 22-2, etc.) are registered in the word record storage area (data) of the storage means 3. A database is constructed by performing similar processing on all headwords (words) in the original dictionary.

The parts that are registered as "meanings" in dictionaries are generally concise descriptions, and the conjugated forms of verbs and adjectives are registered as final forms, so they are suitable as search keys. Rather, electronic dictionaries have fixed rules for description, so morphological analysis methods used in natural language processing (sentence structure analysis methods that break down sentences into word units that make up sentences, and use final forms for verbs and adjectives) ) can easily retrieve the "meaning" of a word automatically or mechanically.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the headword [a
] as the meaning and registers it in the search key storage area (key) 31, and also registers the word record of [a] using this as the search key in the word record storage area (data) 34. . This process is sequentially repeated for all words (headwords) stored in the original dictionary 11.

At this time, if a word has multiple meanings, as in the example described in FIG. 2, it is a matter of course that the meanings can be searched using multiple search keys. For example, in the headword area of the word record storage area (data) 34 in Figure 1, [loνe1] has two meanings: the noun "love" and the verb "love," so use both as a search key. Registered in the search key storage area (key) 31 and registered in the word record storage area (data) 34 [
1ove] at the same time. This avoids wasting the storage capacity of the storage means 3, and as a result, it becomes possible to configure the storage means with a small capacity.

Furthermore, if the same search key appears for word records of different headwords, one search key is made to point to multiple word records. For example, in FIG. 1, in addition to the aforementioned headword [1ove], the headword [agape]
] has the meaning of "love," so "love" registered in the search key storage area (key) 31 is registered in the word record storage area (data) 34 as [loνe] and [
agape ] to point to the two word records.

Of course, even if the headwords appear to be the same, if they have different etymologies, they are generally written as separate words in the original dictionary, so they are registered as separate word records. For example, the noun [might] and the auxiliary verb [might] are word storage areas (data).
34, it becomes a separate record as shown in the figure, and the key extracted for the meaning of the noun [might] is "
Needless to say, "arm power" refers only to the word record of the noun "mightl," and words that are semantically unrelated are registered with separate keys.

In addition, when storing the above search keys and word records as a database in the storage means 3, the search keys are sorted in JIS code order, and the word records are sorted in alphabetical order of headwords, so that they can be used as a thesaurus to be described later. It is possible to improve the usability of

In this way, the registration means 2 automatically stores word records for all the words described in the original dictionary 11 using the Japanese meaning of the foreign language (English in this example) as the search key. By registering in 3, you can easily build a large-scale electronic dictionary with high reliability.

Hereinafter, a foreign language (English in this embodiment) dictionary search using an electronic dictionary provided with the database registered as described above will be explained.

When the user inputs the "meaning" of the Japanese word to be searched for as a search key from input means such as a keyboard constituting the input section 42 of the user interface 4, the search results are displayed on the output section 41. At this time, if the word corresponding to the entered key is a word whose meaning is written in the dictionary, it is possible to search without fail, and even if the same meaning is written in multiple words. Since it is possible to search at the same time, it can also be used as a thesaurus.

3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining an example of search execution using the view as the user interface 4 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, for example, when the above-mentioned "love" is input as a search key, "love" is displayed in the input display section view 401 of the view 400. This "Love J is the search key storage area (key) 310 items [Love] of the storage means 3 in FIG.
corresponding to [agape] and [I] in the corresponding word record storage area (data) 34 by inputting from a search execution command button (not shown) on the user interface 4.

νe] is searched, and the results are displayed on the output display view 402 as shown in FIG. 3 and presented to the user. Seeing this presentation, the user can understand the Japanese word “
You can list the English words, pronunciation symbols, 1 part of speech, their meanings, and other word records for "Love", including their synonyms and other meanings.

In addition, even if the meaning is not described in the dictionary, the keys are sorted in JIS code order, so use the previous/next search buttons 403 and 404 in the view 400 to search the previous/next/previous word record order in the dictionary. By looking at the meaning items of the presented word records, it is possible to search for ambiguous inputs or search for idioms (usage) or usage examples.

FIG. 4 shows the search results for "love" explained in FIG.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the search results displayed on the view of the user interface when a previous/previous search is performed. The search key [love] stored next to [love] is displayed on the output display section view 402. This search result includes [dear] as a synonym. In this case, [dear
] is searched based on its meaning as an adjective, and [Iove] is searched based on its meaning as a verb, but the user does not need to be aware of the difference in the parts of speech when manually inputting the keys.

In this way, by adopting a method of searching based on Japanese meanings, users can search an English-Japanese dictionary as if they were searching a Japanese-English dictionary. Additionally, since it can be used as a synonym dictionary, it is easy to understand the concepts and usage of words.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned English-Japanese dictionary mainly aimed at Japanese people, but can be applied in various ways.

Recently, the number of foreigners residing in Japan has been increasing, and this type of dictionary, which is easy to use, is indispensable for these people when learning Japanese.

However, most foreign language dictionaries were originally created for Japanese people, making them difficult for foreigners to use.

The present invention has functions that can be easily applied as a Japanese language learning device for such foreigners. For example, in addition to the synonym search function explained in FIGS. In Figure 4, by searching one after another using the meaning item as a key, or by selecting another meaning of the searched word and using this as a search key to widen the search range, it is possible to identify the meaning of the Japanese word. The semantic space of a concept can be easily understood. Since what is searched is a dictionary with foreign words as headwords, the Japanese language learning device can be easily familiar to foreigners.

In addition, since the search key in the present invention can be determined by simply looking at its meaning items, the configuration of the registration means itself may be relatively simple, and furthermore, for common search keys, one word record can be used. Since only the registration is required, the capacity of the storage means can be saved, so it is easy to implement the device as an electronic dictionary system, and the processing is fast.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, when searching a foreign language electronic dictionary, the item input as a search key is the Japanese meaning of the item, so it can be used in the same way as a Japanese dictionary, and Since it can be used as a thesaurus at the same time, it becomes easier to understand the concept and usage of the word in question, and it is also possible to re-read other items that often occur when looking up a dictionary, for example to find a more precise entry for a Japanese word obtained from an English-Japanese dictionary. It is possible to use an extremely efficient (highly usable) dictionary by eliminating the inconvenience of using two types of dictionaries, such as having to look it up again in a Japanese-English dictionary in order to know the information.

Furthermore, the devices constituting the system themselves have the advantage of being relatively small-capacity storage devices and capable of high-speed processing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an English-Japanese dictionary search system, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an English-Japanese dictionary search system. FIGS. 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of a configuration example, and are explanatory diagrams of an example of search execution using the user interface view in FIG. 1. 1...Character input means, 2...Registration means, 3...
... Storage means, 4 ... User interface, 5
...Search execution means. Applicant Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Yoji Onodera (2 others) Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A storage means for storing a dictionary database; a registration means for generating a search key consisting of Japanese corresponding to a headword and registering it in the storage means as a dictionary database together with the word data of the foreign language-Japanese dictionary, and storing the search key based on the search key input at the time of the search; a search execution means for searching word records from a database stored in the means; a user interface comprising an input section for the search key and an output section for outputting the search results; A foreign language electronic dictionary search method characterized by searching for a corresponding foreign word based on the meaning of the word.