- massive attack s/pld.org.pl/pld-linux.org/

[packages/dict-gcide.git] / dict-gcide-README.DIC

File  README.DIC\r
  To accompany the GNU version of the set of files (cide.*) containing \r
                the electronic version of the\r
       Collaborative International Dictionary of English.\r
                   (called also GCIDE)\r
       These files contain Version 0.46 (January 2002)\r
    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *\r
\r
The dictionary was derived from the\r
         Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary\r
                 Version published 1913\r
               by the  C. & G. Merriam Co.\r
                   Springfield, Mass.\r
                 Under the direction of\r
                Noah Porter, D.D., LL.D.\r
\r
and has been supplemented with some of the definitions from\r
           WordNet, a semantic network created by\r
              the Cognitive Science Department\r
                 of Princeton University\r
                  under the direction of\r
                   Prof. George Miller\r
\r
and is being proof-read and supplemented by volunteers from\r
around the world.  This is an unfunded project, and future\r
enhancement of this dictionary will depend on the efforts of\r
volunteers willing to help build this free resource into a\r
comprehensive body of general information.  New definitions\r
for missing words or words senses and longer explanatory notes, \r
as well as images to accompany the articles are needed.  More\r
modern illustrative quotations giving recent examples of\r
usage of the words in their various senses will be very\r
helpful, since most quotations in the original 1913 dictionary\r
are now well over 100 years old.\r
\r
   This electronic version is being maintained by World Soul,\r
a non-profit organization in Plainfield, NJ.  For additional\r
information or if you are willing to assist construction of this\r
data source, contact:\r
\r
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\r
 Patrick J. Cassidy              | TEL:          (908) 561-3416\r
 World Soul                      | if no answer, (908) 668-5252\r
 735 Belvidere Ave.              | FAX:          (908) 668-5904\r
 Plainfield, NJ  07062-2054\r
 pc@worldsoul.org   or  cassidy@micra.com\r
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\r
\r
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * \r
\r
GCIDE is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify\r
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by\r
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)\r
any later version.\r
\r
GCIDE is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,\r
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of\r
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the\r
GNU General Public License for more details.\r
\r
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License\r
along with this copy of GCIDE; see the file COPYING.  If not, write \r
to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,\r
Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.\r
           * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * \r
\r
STRUCTURE OF THE DICTIONARY\r
---------------------------\r
   When the archives are unpacked, the main dictionary text of \r
the GCIDE will be found in 26 files named "cide.*", where the\r
asterisk indicates which letter of the alphabet begins the\r
words in each file.  For example, file "cide.b" contains words \r
beginning with the letter "B".  Additional information about the \r
tagging conventions and special character symbols are contained in \r
ancillary files in this directory more information below).  The main \r
body of the 1913 dictionary was essentially identical to the edition\r
published in 1890, and was republished in 1913 with an appendix \r
containing "New Words".  The new words of that appendix have been\r
integrated into the main file in this version.  However, it is important \r
to keep in mind that the definitions in this dictionary are in most \r
cases over 100 years old.  Use them with caution!\r
    At the bottom of each paragraph in this dictionary, there is a\r
bracketed and tagged "source" indicated.  This tells from where the\r
definition or other text in that paragraph came, as follows:\r
\r
[<source>1913 Webster</source>]\r
  =  From the original 1890 dictionary.\r
[<source>Webster 1913 Suppl.</source>]\r
  =  From the 1913 "New Words" supplement to the Webster.\r
[<source>WordNet 1.5</source>]\r
  =  From the WordNet on-line semantic network.\r
[<source>Century Dict. 1906.</source>]\r
  =  From the Century Dictionary published in 1906, especially from\r
          the "proper Names" supplement (volume IX).\r
                                     published\r
[<source>XXX</source>]\r
   = Added by one of the volunteers.\r
\r
    The original definitions have been tagged and in some cases \r
reformatted or slightly rearranged.  If substantive information\r
is added from a second source, usually the additional source is\r
also noted, as in:\r
[<source>Webster 1913 Suppl.</source> + <source>WordNet 1.5</source>]\r
\r
    A list of the ancillary files related to the GCIDE is appended at \r
the bottom of this "readme.dic" file.\r
    This version is tagged with SGML-like tags of the form <pos>...</pos>\r
so that the original typography (italics, bold, block quotes) can be\r
reproduced.  A list of the most important tags for fields in the \r
dictionary is given below.  The tags also serve the more important \r
function of allowing the information content to be conveniently imported\r
into computer programs or databases.  The set of tags used is described \r
in the accompanying file "tagset.web".  ***NOTE*** the paragraph tags\r
<p>...</p> do *not* always nest properly with certain other tags, such \r
as <note> and <cs> ("collocation section"), which in some cases span\r
multiple paragraphs.  If you are using a tag parser which detects\r
improper nesting, you should first either delete the paragraph\r
tags or convert them to non-tag symbols, or, if possible, set the \r
parser to ignore the <p>...</p> tags.\r
    The unusual characters (such as Greek or the European accented\r
characters, as well as special characters used in the pronunciations)\r
are described in the accompanying file "webfont.asc".  Some information\r
on the pronunciation system used may be found by viewing the files\r
"wxxvii.jpg" and "pronunc.jpg" with a GIF viewer (or any web browser),\r
and additional explanations of pronunciation are in the file \r
"pronunc.web".\r
     Each paragraph of the original text is enclosed within tags of \r
the form <p> . . . </p>.  Within these paragraphs are no line\r
breaks, and some of the paragraphs are over 12,000 characters long.\r
These lines are too long to be handled by the vi editor, and probably\r
by some other text editors.  At some points, embedded line breaks within \r
a "paragraph" are marked by a <br/ "entity".  The file can therefore\r
be converted, if necessary, to a form with shorter lines, and subsequently\r
reconverted back to the form having one line per paragraph.\r
\r
   If additional line breaks are added, then in order remove the \r
line breaks and reconstruct the original paragraphs, so that the \r
page width can be adjusted, perform the following manipulations:\r
  (1) convert each line break (cr-lf combination) to a space.\r
  (2) convert the string "</p>  " (</p> followed by two spaces)\r
     to </p> followed by two line breaks (cr-lf combinations)\r
  (3) convert the string "<br/ " (<br/ followed by one space)\r
     to <br/ followed by one line break (cr-lf).\r
There will be some "lines" (paragraphs) with over 12,000 characters,\r
which may give trouble to some simple text editors.\r
   A more sophisticated formatting of spaces within paragraphs may\r
require the use of the fully-tagged master files.  If you have\r
a need for these files, contact Patrick Cassidy: cassidy@micra.com.\r
   The approximate beginning of each page is marked by an SGML\r
comment of the form <-- p. 345 -->.  (The exact beginning was in some\r
cases in the middle of a paragraph, which we decided was not a\r
good location for these page-number comments, so the page number\r
was usually moved to the next paragraph break).  Pages which have \r
been proofread by volunteers (e.g., with initials VOL) will have a \r
note within that page comment: <-- p. 345 pr=VOL -->.  Pages which have \r
not been proofread yet (most of them) will have varying numbers of \r
typographical errors in them.   We still (January 2002) need \r
proofreaders to get the errors out of these dictionary files.\r
\r
***********************************************************************\r
**                        WARNING!!!                                 **\r
***********************************************************************\r
\r
    This version is only a first typing, and has numerous typographic\r
errors, including errors in the field-marks.  In addition, the user must\r
keep in mind that this text is very old and will contain numerous \r
obsolete, inaccurate, and perhaps offensive statements, which are \r
included solely because this work is intended to reproduce accurately\r
this historically interesting classic reference work.  This text should \r
not be relied upon as an accurate source of information, as in many\r
cases it represents the state of knowledge around 1890.  The text is\r
provided "as is", and the user must accept responsibility for all\r
consequences  of its use. Please refer to the header of each file and\r
the GNU public license.  If these conditions of use are unacceptable,\r
please do not use these texts.\r
************************************************************************\r
************************************************************************\r
    This electronic dictionary is also made available as a potential\r
starting point for development of a modern comprehensive encyclopedic\r
dictionary, to be accessible freely on the internet, and developed by the\r
efforts of all individuals willing to help build a large and freely\r
available knowledge base.  A large number of collaborators are needed to\r
bring this dictionary to a more accurate, more modern,  and more useful\r
state. Anyone willing to assist in any way in constructing such a \r
knowledge base should contact Patrick Cassidy (see above).  All reports \r
of errors will be gratefully received, and should also be transmitted to \r
PC at: pc@worldsoul.org.\r
\r
In addition to the main text of the dictionary, additional\r
explanatory material about this version of the dictionary is available\r
in the ancillary files:\r
\r
=====================================================================\r
COPYING             18,321  11-03-99  1:13a COPYING\r
README   DIC        13,775  01-17-02 11:48p readme.dic\r
WEBFONT  ASC        35,234  12-12-01  3:27p WEBFONT.ASC\r
TAGSET   WEB        55,843  08-16-01  1:16p TAGSET.WEB\r
PRONUNC  WEB        14,312  06-18-00  3:02p PRONUNC.WEB\r
PRONUNC  JPG     2,569,796  06-18-00  3:11p PRONUNC.JPG\r
SYMBOLS  JPG       144,716  06-18-00  3:13p SYMBOLS.JPG\r
WXXVII   JPG     1,188,380  06-18-00  3:19p WXXVII.JPG\r
==================================================================\r
\r
\r
Most important tags used in the GCIDE:\r
<hw> tags the headword\r
<pr>          pronunciation\r
<pos>         part of speech\r
<ety>         etymology\r
<ets>         "source" word within an <ety> field, usually foreign words\r
<fld>         field of knowledge (e.g. Med. = medicine)\r
<def>         definition\r
<cs>          collocation section  (containing word combinations)\r
<col>         collocation entry (word combination)\r
<cd>          collocation definition\r
<as>          illustrations of usage (within a <def>. . . </def> field)\r
<au>          authority for a definition, or author of a quotation\r
<q>           illustrative quotation -- in block quote format\r
<au>          author of an illustrative <q> quotation\r
<altname>     alternative name for the headword -- essentially a synonym\r
<asp>         alternative spelling of the headword\r
<syn>         list of synonyms for the headword\r
<p>           paragraph\r
<b>           bold type\r
<it>          italic type\r
\r
For other tags, see the file "tagset.web"\r
\r
\r
============================================================\r
            OTHER VERSIONS OF THE DICTIONARY\r
=============================================================\r
\r
   There are several other derivative versions of this dictionary \r
on the internet, in some cases reformatted or provided with an \r
interface.  Those that I am aware of are:\r
\r
(1) Project Gutenberg\r
---------------------\r
   In the extext96 directory of Project Gutenberg (www.prairienet.org)\r
there is a version of the original 1913 dictionary, which is in\r
the **public domain**.  The main files are in the directory etext96,\r
and sre labeled pgw050**.***.  The tags for that version are a subset\r
of those used in this GNU version.\r
\r
(2) The DICT development group\r
------------------------------\r
This group has created a program to index and search this dictionary.\r
The program can be downloaded and used locally, but at present\r
is available only in a Unix-compatible executable version.\r
See their web site at http://www.dict.org.\r
\r
(3)  The University of Chicago ARTFL project\r
---------------------------------------------\r
Mark Olsen and Gavin LaRowe at the University of Chicago have \r
converted the original 1913 dictionary to HTML and have provided an\r
interface allowing search of the headwords.  When the supplemented\r
version has developed sufficiently to warrant the effort, a \r
similar searchable version may be posted there as well.  The\r
search page is at:\r
  http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/webster.form.html\r
\r
That page will provide links to other ARTFL projects and contact\r
information for the ARTFL group, who alone can provide information \r
about the HTML version or interface.\r
\r
\r
 -- PJC\r