walker@FLASH.BELLCORE.COM (Donald E Walker) (06/02/89)
DICTIONARIES IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE
Fifth Annual Conference of the University of Waterloo Centre for the New OED
Jointly presented by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Computing Service
University of Waterloo
St. Catherine's College, Oxford, England -- 18-19 September 1989
(For associated workshops on Dictionary Assessment and Criticism and on
Developing Lexical Resources, see below.)
"The complete Oxford English Dictionary ... likely to be very
manageable indeed when compressed into the electronic microstructure
of a chip."
- Christopher Evans, "The Mighty Micro", 1979
Once it had become clear that computers could be used in the
composition, analysis, and transmission of written texts, it was
a natural step to try to yoke them together with dictionaries, the
most complex of texts both to compile and to analyse. Pioneering
early efforts were made during the 1950s and 1960s, when storage
was limited and data entry was by punched card. The first dictionaries
actually compiled in the form of a computer database appeared in
the late 1970s. By this time professional analysts of language
such as linguists and computer scientists had begun to realize that
the dictionary was a ready-made mine of language. If it could be
electronically analysed they would be freed from much of the labour
of collecting or introspecting linguistic patterns. During the
1980s a fruitful symbiosis has grown up between lexicography,
computing, and linguistics. Increasingly, dictionaries are designed
as computer databases and compiled with the assistance of textual
corpora. The lexicographer's desk has been reinterpreted as a
multi- functional workstation. Linguists are exploiting the full
resources of machine-readable dictionaries in order to build
comprehensive models of linguistic data. Computer scientists are
able to take over the information network built into the dictionary
as a kind of ready-made expert system.
In 1984 the "Oxford English Dictionary" became the first large
dictionary to be converted from printed format into a machine-readable
database. In March this year the second edition of the OED was
published, the offspring of a successful marriage of lexicography
and computer technology. To mark this achievement this Fifth Annual
Conference is being held at Oxford rather than at Waterloo. The
publication of the new edition of the OED, together with the
development, at the University of Waterloo Centre for the New OED,
of programs for the rapid searching of large textual databases like
the OED, and the appearance of a CD-ROM version of the first edition
of the OED, are pointers towards the fulfilment of Evans's prediction.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
Sunday, 17 September
2.00-6.00 p.m. Registration, Porter's Lodge
6.00 p.m. Registration and Reception, Junior Common Room
7.00 p.m. Dinner, Dining Hall
Monday, 18 September
8.30 a.m. Registration
SESSION I
Developing Lexical Resources
Donald E. Walker, Bellcore
Editing the OED in the Electronic Age
Edmund S.C. Weiner, Oxford University Press
Demonstration: Lexicographical Workstations
Nicoletta Calzolari and Eugenio Picchi, Istituto di Linguistica Computazionale
SESSION II
La Constitution de la documentation du Tresor de la langue francaise:
problemes et methodes
Gerard Gorcy, Institut National de la Langue Francaise
The Corpus of the Dictionary of Old English: Its Delimitation,
Compilation and Application
Ashley Crandell Amos, University of Toronto
7.00 p.m. Banquet, Dining Hall
Guest speaker: Sir Randolph Quirk,
University College London
Tuesday, 19 September
SESSION III
The Concrete Lexicon and the Abstract Dictionary
Martin Kay, Xerox PARC
Lexicons for Computer Programs and Lexicons for People
Sergei Nirenburg, Carnegie-Mellon University
SESSION IV
Discovering Relationships Among Word Senses
Roy J. Byrd, IBM Research Center
What is Text?
Frank W. Tompa, University of Waterloo
SESSION V
Panel Discussion: Present and Future Challenges
Panelists: Gaston H. Gonnet (Introducer), University of Waterloo
Beryl T.S. Atkins, Oxford University Press
Reinhard R.K. Hartmann, University of Exeter
Michael E. Lesk, Bellcore
Conference Chairman: Timothy J. Benbow, Oxford University Press
Nominating Committee Chairman: Gaston H. Gonnet, University of Waterloo
CONFERENCE ARRANGEMENTS: All Conference activities will take place
at St Catherine's College, Oxford, with the main sessions taking
place in the Bernard Sunley Building.
ACCOMMODATION: Conference and workshop accommodation will be arranged
in single study-bedrooms in St Catherine's College, Oxford. Most
of these bedrooms have wash-basins, and there are washing and shower
facilities on each floor. Soap, linen, and hand- towels are
provided.
TRANSPORT: There is a frequent coach service to Oxford from both
Gatwick and Heathrow airports, and many trains (Paddington station)
and coaches (Victoria coach station) from London. Timetables will
be forwarded with the Conference information package to those who
register.
CONFERENCE FEES (in pound sterling):
Basic fees cover all conference sessions, one copy of the conference
proceedings, the reception, two lunches (Mon. and Tues.), two
dinners (Sun. and Tues.), mid-session refreshments, and the banquet
on Monday evening.
Resident fees include the basic fees plus Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
night bed and breakfast at St Catherine's College.
All optional fees (see below) are additional to the conference fees.
Registration must be received by 31 August 1989. If space permits,
late registration will be available at an additional cost of L20.00.
All fees must be paid in pounds sterling. Please make cheques
payable to Oxford University Press. Access, Visa, and Barclaycard
(MasterCard) credit cards will be accepted.
The conference information package will be forwarded upon receipt
of registration.
Basic fees: Academic L149.50 Non-academic L287.50
Resident fees: Academic L207.00 Non-academic L345.00
There will be a late registration fee (after 31 August) of L20.00.
Note: All charges include 15 per cent UK Value Added Tax where applicable.
Additional conference proceedings will be available at L10.00 per copy.
ASSOCIATED WORKSHOPS
Both workshops will be held at St Catherine's College, Oxford.
DICTIONARY ASSESSMENT AND CRITICISM
Sunday, 17 September 1989: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Organized by EURALEX
Participants at the 1988 biennial EURALEX General Meeting in Budapest
will recall requests for a more practical and explicitly lexicographical
orientation to the Association's activities. Thus, this workshop
has been organized to:
1. provide an introduction to the topic and to allow participants
to work in small groups at an assessment of one dictionary
and/or a comparison of two or more works, and
2. make suggestions for the structure and contents of the section
on Dictionary Assessment and Criticism at the next EURALEX
International Congress, in Malaga, August 28- September 2,
1990.
The workshop should prove of interest to lexicographers, publishers,
language teachers, linguists, researchers, reviewers and anyone
else who uses dictionaries: in fact, to all types of dictionary
producers and consumers.
Euralex Workshop Fee: Member L22.00
Non-member L25.00
Includes lunch and refreshment breaks.
DEVELOPING LEXICAL RESOURCES
Wednesday, 20 September 1989, 9.30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Organized by the Association for Computational Linguistics and Bellcore
We need to resolve the conflicts of interest that appear to exist
among publishers, software developers, and the research community.
The research community needs resources to do its work. The publishers
have source materials but are concerned with protecting their
intellectual property rights. The software developers are trying
simultaneously to create tools and a market in which to use them.
This open meeting will present the perspectives of these protagonists
and attempt to work out strategies for resolving the perceived
conflicts in ways that will be beneficial to all parties.
There is no fee for this Workshop. However, please respond on the
Conference registration form if you plan to attend, or contact Don
Walker at the address below.
INFORMATION
For further information about the Conference and the EURALEX Workshop,
contact either Katherine Manville (ext. 4533) or Sandra Johnston
(ext. 4530) at:
Dictionary Department
Oxford University Press
Walton Street
Oxford OX2 6DP England
Telephone: (0865) 56767
International: + 44 865 56767
Internet: oup@watsol.waterloo.edu
For information about the Workshop on Developing Lexical Resources,
contact:
Dr. Donald E. Walker (Oxford)
Bellcore, MRE 2A379
445 South Street, Box 1910
Morristown, NJ 07960-1910, USA
telephone: (+1 201) 829-4312
fax: (+1 201) 292-0067
internet: walker@flash.bellcore.com
usenet: uunet.uu.net!bellcore!walker