Comparative Study On Definition Of Adjective Of Modern Chinese Dictionary (Fifth Edition) And Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Revised Edition Of The Tenth)

Definition is one of the center topics of the modern lexicography research. Comparative study on definition of the Chinese-foreign dictionaries has the important theories value and practice value for the lexicography. In this thesis two national language dictionaries of the Chinese and English are choosed that have certain representative of"The Modern Chinese Dictionary"(fifth edition) (call"Modern Chinese"as follows) and"The Concise Oxford English Dictionary"(revised edition of the tenth) (call"Oxford"as follows). On the basis of a great deal of language material we used the combination methods of the qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. From three aspects of the method, additional contents and systematicness of definition, the many-sided comparative study were made on the adjective definition to two dictionaries.Scientific method of definition is the key of accurate definition. First of all we made comparative study on the methods of the adjective definition to two dictionaries. From two dictionaries the certain quantity language meaning was sampled which basically corresponded to the adjective meaning of Chinese and English and established a close area. On this basis we carried on the contrast analysis for the methods of the adjective definition to two dictionaries. The methods of the adjective definition in two dictionaries contained the description, comprehensiveness, mutual explaination and quasi-definition, we made the qualitative and quantitative analysis and description of use of some methods of definition in two dictionaries. After that we found the methods of the most usage were description and comprehensive and there were no gross defects in use and definition was accurate and clear and the proportion of the mutual explaination was smaller but existed more problems in use and appeared some defects of definition in two dictionaries. In"Modern Chinese"the quantity of the mutual explaination was far more than that of"Oxford"and in use it appeared defects of definition of circulation definition, different meanings of definition and was not able to accurately express the word meanings in the methods of definition etc. In"Oxford"it is relatively scientific. It even more emphasizes the consistency of explaining the article and explained parts of speech and pays attention to the precision and exactness of definition and avoids as far as possible abstract and general,but"Modern Chinese"is slightly inferior in both sides.The additional contents of definition reflect its comprehensiveness of definition of dictionaries. It involves the language meaning of the explained word, grammar and various information on the language use. We made the systematic comparative study on the additional contents of the adjective definition to two dictionaries. It contains: the information on connotation, the relation of the language meaning (syntagmaitic and paradigmatic relations), grammar (word class, form, grammar function and environment and etc.) and other related method of use and etc.. On a wide range of the additional contents of definition are more abundant and for this reason it promotes the function of dictionaries to a great extent and it reflects the development progress of the theory and practice of definition of the modern dictionary to a certain extent. But there are some strong and weak points on the description of the additional item of each definition of two dictionaries."Modern Chinese"in the aspect of amount of information on the connotation, paradigmatic relations, related using information as well as in the systematicness and accuracy of the marking and expressing way is slightly inferior to"Oxford". But"Oxford"in the information on grammar function and syntagmaitic relations is a little less than"Modern Chinese".The systematicness of definition is the important expression of science of definition of dictionary. From two aspects of definition of related terms and definition of hint language ,we made a comparative study on the systematicness of the adjective definition of"Modern Chinese"and"Oxford". On the systematicness of definition of related terms we made the qualitative and quantitative analysis for the marking and definition mode of related terms in adjective definition to two dictionaries. We discovered phenomena of marking lack, dissymmetry and disunity mode of definition in two dictionaries. But in"Modern Chinese"the quantity of related terms of lack of definition systematicness in the adjective definition is more than that in"Oxford". From unified standard and arrangement we made a research on systematicness of hint language of definition ."Oxford"in unified standard is superior to"Modern Chinese", and in arrangement is more than"Modern Chinese". In a word,"Oxford"in the systematicness of adjective definition is superior to"Modern Chinese".