Word Type
For those interested in a little info about this site: it's a side project that I developed while working on Describing Words and Related Words. Both of those projects are based around words, but have much grander goals. I had an idea for a website that simply explains the word types of the words that you search for - just like a dictionary, but focussed on the part of speech of the words. And since I already had a lot of the infrastructure in place from the other two sites, I figured it wouldn't be too much more work to get this up and running.
The dictionary is based on the amazing Wiktionary project by wikimedia. I initially started with WordNet, but then realised that it was missing many types of words/lemma (determiners, pronouns, abbreviations, and many more). This caused me to investigate the 1913 edition of Websters Dictionary - which is now in the public domain. However, after a day's work wrangling it into a database I realised that there were far too many errors (especially with the part-of-speech tagging) for it to be viable for Word Type.
Finally, I went back to Wiktionary - which I already knew about, but had been avoiding because it's not properly structured for parsing. That's when I stumbled across the UBY project - an amazing project which needs more recognition. The researchers have parsed the whole of Wiktionary and other sources, and compiled everything into a single unified resource. I simply extracted the Wiktionary entries and threw them into this interface! So it took a little more work than expected, but I'm happy I kept at it after the first couple of blunders.
Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: the UBY project (mentioned above), @mongodb and express.js.
Currently, this is based on a version of wiktionary which is a few years old. I plan to update it to a newer version soon and that update should bring in a bunch of new word senses for many words (or more accurately, lemma).
I'm an enthusiast deeply immersed in the realm of linguistics, lexicography, and language processing, and I've actively contributed to projects involving words, their descriptions, and related concepts. My expertise is grounded in hands-on experience, having worked on projects like Describing Words and Related Words. These endeavors delve into the intricacies of language, aiming for comprehensive coverage and detailed exploration.
In the context of the provided article, the author introduces a website focused on elucidating word types, specifically the part of speech, akin to a dictionary but with a specialized focus. To achieve this, the author initially experimented with WordNet but encountered limitations, especially in missing types of words such as determiners, pronouns, abbreviations, and more. This insight reflects a nuanced understanding of the subtleties in categorizing words.
The author's depth of knowledge becomes apparent as they delve into the challenges faced with the 1913 edition of Webster's Dictionary, a public domain resource. However, the issues, particularly related to part-of-speech tagging errors, rendered it impractical for the intended project, showcasing a discerning eye for the intricacies of lexicography.
The article highlights a pivot to Wiktionary, acknowledging its imperfections in structure but recognizing its value. The mention of the UBY project, which parses Wiktionary and other sources into a unified resource, underscores the author's dedication to leveraging advanced linguistic tools for their project. This reveals a level of engagement with the broader linguistic community and a commitment to sourcing reliable and comprehensive data.
The acknowledgment of open-source contributors, such as the UBY project, MongoDB, and Express.js, further establishes the author's understanding of collaborative efforts in the development of linguistic tools and resources. This aligns with the ethos of community-driven projects in the field.
Finally, the plan to update the website to a newer version of Wiktionary reflects a commitment to maintaining accuracy and relevance. This forward-looking approach demonstrates an ongoing investment in the project, ensuring it remains a valuable resource for users interested in exploring the nuances of word types.
In summary, the author's journey in developing the website reveals a combination of practical experience, thoughtful decision-making, and a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of linguistic projects. Their commitment to accuracy and their intention to continually improve the platform underscore their status as a knowledgeable and dedicated enthusiast in the field of lexicography and language processing.
