1991:2 - Universitetet i Bergen

ELECTRONIC DICTIONARY
AND LANGUAGE MASTER
Louis Janus
The American Heritagc Elecrronic Dictionary (AHED) and Language
Moster &M) are disk-based software pucksges har can help writcrs of
EngIish. Boh offer on-line definilions of thousands of English words,
usage nolcs &out many of these words, hyphenation points, and a
thesaunis for finding synonyms. AHED goes beyond these modules.
orfering several other interesting and useful functions. For this review
I used the Macintosh versions, although both AHED and LM are also
available far a variety of othcr computers and operating systems.
LM comes to the user on three double donsity Mac diskettes, while
AHED takes up iour disketres. Installation on my hard disk was
suaighuorward and problem-frec for both packages. Once stored an the
hard disk, LM occupies 1.7 KB and AKED 3 KB. Both ore Desk
Accessories, which means that they are avaiIabIe as pop-up windows
from any application. On the screen, thcrc are no big surprises, nothidg
fancy. Generally, one types a word in lhe encry box, clicks the rnouse
on a "lookupn bunon, and the information is displayed in e scroIling
iield,
Both packages keep wack of prcvious searches, allciwing one 10
backtrack. Also both make it easy to hop between the defining dictionary
and the thesaurus. so that the user can First gcr a literal definition of
a word and then see other words with sirnilar rncanings. Another
fearure that simpliiics Lhe scarch for le mot just is the ability to
double-ciick on a word cithcr in the definition or in the synonym
choice, and cause that word lo be loaked up. For exampIc, I Iooked
up circle and got as pm of the definilion 'closcd symrnetrica1 curve.'
I hen cIicked the rnouse on symmetrical and got its definilion Yregularity
and bafance in the arrangement of parts.' This kind of easy meandering
hrough the Englich lexicon would be profihble and enjayaible for both
nalive and non-nadvc BngIish speakers.
164 HUMrWISTISKE DATA 291