Japanese dictionaries
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Depending on the specific function they are required to perform, learners and readers of Japanese, as well as native speakers, will have recourse to a variety of different forms of Japanese dictionary. The way in which the Japanese language has changed over the past 1400 years or so since the first written records were created, to say nothing of the convoluted nature of the writing system, means that a variety of specialist dictionaries are often called for. There exist specialist dictionaries for, among other things, pre-modern Japanese terms, kanji (Chinese characters), historical or religious terms, and many more.
A relatively recent invention, perhaps not out of keeping with Japan's reputation as a centre of high technology, is the Electronic Dictionary (Japanese denshi jisho 電子辞書) which can incorporate multiple volumes into one pocket-sized device. A variety of dictionaries and related software can also be found online.
Below is a list of some of the categories of dictionaries available, both specialist and otherwise, and a discussion of some specific examples.
[edit] Collation
Japanese dictionaries are usually collated (ordered) in the order of the words in kana, the phonetically based syllabary of Japanese, rather than the radical system used in Chinese dictionaries. The usual ordering of the kana is the gojūon system.
Kanji dictionaries are usually ordered using the same radical and stroke order method used in Chinese dictionaries.
[edit] Chinese Character Dictionaries
Reading Japanese requires a good knowledge of Chinese characters (kanji 漢字) - particularly in the case of pre-modern (and some pre-WWII) texts. Below is a list of some of the resources available to determine the reading and meaning of Chinese characters.
[edit] Current Word Dictionaries
Japan, like most other developed countries, has its own set of mots du jour, whether translated or imported directly from other languages, and there are at least three regularly published dictionaries that attempt to keep their readers abreast of the latest terms.
- Chiezō
- Gendai yōgo no kiso chishiki
- Imidasu
[edit] Electronic Japanese Dictionaries
Electronic dictionaries can carry multiple works in one handy pocket-sized device. Numerous different models are available, which vary widely in terms of content, ease of use and cost.
[edit] Foreign Loan Word Dictionaries
Loan words from other languages (gairaigo 外来語) are a salient feature of Japanese, and their number increases year on year. Many native speakers, to say nothing of foreign learners, have a hard time keeping up with all the new terms and there are several publications available explaining the meaning and etymology of the latest buzz-words.
- Gairaigo Dictionaries
[edit] Japanese-Japanese Dictionaries
Although the Kōjien is generally regarded as the most authoritative single-volume Japanese-Japanese dictionary, multi-volume competitors also exist, and these are in some cases able to offer a greater level of detail.
[edit] English-Japanese and Japanese-English Dictionaries
[edit] Online Dictionaries
The Internet contains a wealth of online resources for studying and reading Japanese, not least online dictionaries.
- Online Japanese Dictionaries and Glossaries - Jim Breen's comprehensive list. [link]
[edit] Pre-Modern Japanese Dictionaries
Pre-modern Japanese can vary considerably from the modern language, and many words can be impossible to find in modern dictionaries or have different meanings to their modern counterparts. A good pre-modern Japanese dictionary (kogo jiten 古語辞典）is essential for anyone reading Classical Japanese.
- Iwanami kogo jiten
- Jidaibetsu kokugo jiten
- Kadogawa kogo jiten
- Nippo jisho
[edit] External links
[edit] Online dictionaries
- Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Online Kanji and Japanese Dictionary
- POPjisyo Dictionary, based on EDICT, pop-up definitions
- Kiki's Kanji Dictionary
- Dictionaries: Japanese, Open Directory Project
- Kanji dictionary
- Kanji, Japanese and sentence dictionary, based on JDIC
- KanjiQuick Kanji-English/German dictionary with translation and TTS (Text To Speech) modules
- Japanese Kanji Dictionary Each character is presented by a grade, stroke count, stroke order, phonetic reading and native Japanese reading. You can also listen to the pronunciation.
- Kanji-A-Day.comBased on EDICT, Japanese to English, English to Japanese & Kanji Dictionary including stroke count.
- English-Japanese Japanese-English DictionaryJapanese-English English-Japanese dictionary based on the EDICT database, including kanji.
- (Japanese) Excite 翻訳 (translator) Online Machine Translator & Dictionary; English-Japanese, Chinese-Japanese, & Korean-Japanese
- (Japanese) Infoseek 楽天マルチ翻訳 (Rakuten multi-translator) Online Machine Translator & Dictionary; English-Japanese, Kansai-ben, & 7 other languages
- (Japanese) 三省堂 (Sanseido) Web Dictionary Online Japanese Dictionary
- (Japanese) Yahoo! Japan 辞書 (dictionary) Online Japanese Dictionary
- (Japanese) Japanese.Net.Tc Some Japanese sentences and online Japanese dictionary-both Romaji and Kanji
