[Foundation-l] Minor projects withering and dying? Really?

[Ray Saintonge]

On 09/13/11 6:11 AM, Yaroslav M. Blanter wrote:
>
> I am not a Wictionary contributor but I was never able to understand why
> we have Wictionaries in different language, though a big part of those seem
> to be translations on other languages, and they overlap. Would it not be
> advantageous to have just one Wictionary (as we have just one Commons)?
>
> Sorry for the ignorant question, there might be obvious reasons why they
> should not be the same.
>
>
The root concept for Wiktionary was indeed to include all words in all 
languages.  The presence of Wiktionaries in each language was designed 
for the benefit of speakers of the host language who could have 
definitions and descriptions based on the cultural norms of that language.

The primary function of a dictionary is to explain a language and its 
history to its own speakers.  This includes tracing the usages of a word 
over an extended period of time.  It is descriptive, and not prescriptive.

Translation is a secondary objective. We can translate words, but we can 
rarely be certain that the result will truly convey the meaning of the 
source.  This is especially true of literary works.  A good translator 
will not depend solely on a translation dictionary; he translated the 
meaning and not just the word.

Ray