Wiktionary:Information desk/2015/January

Can prescriptivists edit here?

I’ve always had the feeling that there exists an anti‐prescriptivist sentiment here, given that this project is descriptive (neutral). But I’ve also had the impression that we all have our own agenda here, too. I, for example, mostly document Italic words on Wikcionario, and generally don’t care about the rest, because my own goal is to eventually document all Italic words, not ‘all words in all languages.’
I don’t know if I would say that I’m prescriptive about language in general, but I do know that I’m certainly quite fastidious and perfectionist towards my own usage of language. --Romanophile (talk) 10:00, 2 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

We don't care how prescriptivist you are in your own usage, as long as your entries are written from a descriptivist POV rather than a prescriptivist one. —Aɴɢʀ (talk) 12:26, 2 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Category:de:Female

Is Category:de:Female a joke or should every German word which only refers to female gender be added there? If it is not a joke, then every word suffixed with -in has to be added, like Schülerin, Pastorin, Hündin. -IP, 21:31, 3 January 2015 (UTC)

It's not a joke. Schülerin and Pastorin should be in it, and Hündin should be in its subcategory Category:de:Female animals. —Aɴɢʀ (talk) 21:47, 3 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, thank you. -IP, 21:53, 3 January 2015 (UTC)

Dravest

A simple question. I recently created the article dravest. Did I state the correct tense by using {{en-archaic second-person singular of|drave}}? Thanks, Arbitrarily0 ^(talk) 18:49, 6 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, it looks ok. —CodeCa t 00:34, 9 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Admin userboxes

Moved to Wiktionary:Beer parlour/2015/January#Admin userboxes

why does gloss not work?

The parameter gloss= in {{past participle of}} does not work, while in {{inflection of}} it is working.

Links:

--Bigbossfarin (talk) 17:45, 9 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It does now. — Keφr 18:01, 9 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What is the name for the part of speech category that includes nouns and pronouns, but not adjectives?

When including adjectives and determiners (modifiers), the term "nominal" is often used. But what term is there, if any, for just nouns and pronouns together? That is, nouns which refer to "things" on their own? —CodeCa t 18:04, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

"Nouns and pronouns". — Keφr 18:51, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds too complex a distinction to have an everyday word. Equinox ◑ 01:25, 11 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Also, in some languages adjectives can also 'refer to "things" on their own' through conversion or some other grammatical mechanism (e.g. adding the in front of the word), which is probably why "nominal" includes adjectives in the first place. So the whole distinction may be pointless. — Keφr 08:29, 11 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Page ranking curiosity

To use Google as a dictionary, one searches using the expression "define [x]". See, for example, defining blandish. After Google's own definition comes a variety of dictionary websites. Sadly, I rarely find Wiktionary among those on the first page. Perhaps Wiktionary is less known than these other dictionaries, but is there any way Wiktionary can increase its page rank?

For example, I noticed all the other main online dictionaries actually use the word "dictionary" on every page, increasing their 'searchability', whereas Wiktionary does not. PageRank seems to equate "define" with "dictionary", but not with the word "Wiktionary". Would sliding the word "dictionary" into Wiktionary's footer increase Wiktionary's page rank? More over, I know this is wistful thinking. Arbitrarily0 ^(talk) 23:54, 10 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There may be something of the kind, but is it the presence of the word dictionary or something else? An example: when I google intrinsèque, the fr.wikt entry is the 1st hit. When I google define:intrinsèque, it is 2nd (after a dictionary, and before other dictionaries). What I understand is that Google understands that we are a dictionary, but that Google considers that some other dictionaries are more popular. I don't know why. Lmaltier (talk) 08:43, 11 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Active Macedonian Wiktionary Contributors

Hi I am inquiring as to wether there are any active Macedonian wiktionary contributors, I would like to get in contact so that I can assist in editing or contributing. — This unsigned comment was added by Davski (talk • contribs) at 12:46, 11 January 2015 (UTC).[reply]

User:Martin123xyz has done a lot of work recently on Macedonian, but I don't know if they are still active. I've helped make some templates, but I didn't work on the entries themselves. —CodeCa t 13:03, 11 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

How to deal with variables

There are two new Javanese entries that use "N" as a stand-in for some unspecified nasal consonant: ambranang and mapag.

The problem is that they're redlinking to prefixes spelled with this variable, which seems like a very bad idea. Recognizing the problem is one thing, but figuring out what to do with it is another, entirely.

Suggestions? Chuck Entz (talk) 04:37, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I don’t think it’s problem if we link to the form the word is actually using. We have both Category:English words prefixed with in- and Category:English words prefixed with im-, and Category:English words suffixed with -ization and Category:English words suffixed with -isation. — Ungoliant ^(falai) 04:49, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I don't really agree with that approach. Clearly, in- is not a different suffix from im-, they are allomorphs. To categorise them separately doesn't make much sense. I would prefer it if one allomorph were chosen as the main form, and the others treated as forms of it. —CodeCa t 23:46, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Bosnian Wiktionary

Why on earth is there a Bosnian Wiktionary? Isn't that just a dialect of Serbo-Croatian. I'm sure the project, along with its sister project the Bosnian Wikipedia, probably wouldn't ever get deleted, even if I brought it up somewhere, but I would be one to vote for its deletion. NativeCat ^{drop by and say Hi!} 23:10, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The thing is, not everyone thinks Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian are the same language. — Ungoliant ^(falai) 23:13, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It's been the source of pretty fiery debate in the past (that is, Serbo-Croatian on the English Wiktionary). However, most of the people involved in those debates aren't active right now. Renard Migrant (talk) 23:15, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Four languages-ish

I speak four languages but noticed that the more efficient I become in one language, the more I start to forget the other three langauges. Has anyone else had that experience? 89.241.25.94 11:38, 16 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I've noticed it with my sister (English natively; French and German from high school; some Chinese, Japanese and Russian thereafter). She moved to France years ago and speaks relatively little English now, and even though it's her native language she now sometimes says odd-sounding things or forgets the term for something. Equinox ◑ 15:28, 16 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It happens all the time. I spent years living in France, and spoke fluently. Now I have to deal with three languages on a daily basis - English, Spanish and Catalan - and my French is awful now, and my English is definitely suffering. --Type56op9 (talk) 12:12, 25 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Intelligence

I've always had the perception that dictionary editors have a higher I.Q. than average since many neuropsychological assessment abilities are required. For example you need to have an extensive memory, a deep understanding, conceptualization etc. Do you guys think you have a higher I.Q. than average? 80.44.186.213 13:26, 18 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Question about Translation Request

Do any of the translators translate any fictional languages like Gallifreyan?

Only our fictional translators do that. SemperBlotto (talk) 08:58, 20 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What are Some examples of Spanish slang?

I know spanish fairly well but others have told me that if I speak it to a native speaker they would not understand me that well.

You can find plenty of examples at Category:Spanish slang. --Tropylium (talk) 10:14, 26 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Bold-blooded

(first of all, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post a question like this, but here it goes anyway...) I've encountered the word "bold-blooded" in a a work of fiction, an I'm curious if anyone can give me a synonym or meaning. It is a bit self-explanatory but I would like a confirmation from a native speaker (which I am not)...

I suppose it means bold, but with an implication that the boldness is "in the person's blood", i.e. an intrinsic part of their character. Equinox ◑ 18:53, 21 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds like a pun on cold-blooded. —Aɴɢʀ (talk) 20:01, 21 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

try all

in latin would try all be conormini or conor omni please explain

It can't be translated without context; there are simply too many unknown variables. Can you give a complete sentence? —Aɴɢʀ (talk) 22:39, 21 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

mugged by reality

I don’t really know what this expression means. My best guess is that being mugged by reality means that you stopped being fantastic and deluded and instead perceived things for what they really are. I guess that the things being stolen are you delusions (for whatever purpose). It’s confusing because I find it rare to encounter somebody willing to concede that somebody can be progressive and still be ‘correct.’ --Romanophile (talk) 14:51, 23 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with your guess. It seems to come from Irving Kristol's remark that a neo-conservative is "a liberal who has been mugged by reality". Equinox ◑ 20:56, 23 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I am a novice and need some help with a minor correction of my recent edit.

Just did my first edit ever, adding a fifth definition for "laydown." I tried to just duplicate the format from the other defs. Anyway, the definition part went fine but the quotation ("The most important...") needs fixing as it starts with the word "most" instead of "The" and the result sticks on "passage=The" with the website link to the quotation. Please someone fix it for me or tell me how. I appreciate anyone's assistance.

By the way "laydown" is a very common fishing term that is not in any dictionary that I could find on line. — This unsigned comment was added by RGOLD3000 (talk • contribs) at 00:56, 28 January 2015 (UTC).[reply]

(at [[laydown]]: diff)

RGOLD3000: First, you forgot the closing curlies: }}. Second, we have no {{quote-article}}; I switched that to {{quote-news}}. I have to ask you, though: what kind of publication is this? We generally do not accept blogs as attestation. Can you find something printed? — Keφr 15:24, 28 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you so much, Kephir! It is a well-known on-line magazine that has also a print counterpart (Bassmaster Magazine). And it was indeed an article that can be considered a news article. Also laydown is a well-known noun in freshwater fishing. I appreciate your help! — This unsigned comment was added by RGOLD3000 (talk • contribs) at 15:53, 28 January 2015 (UTC).[reply]

You are welcome. Please remember to sign your posts with ~~~~. — Keφr 19:42, 28 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]