Mak yer ain dictionar

There are lots o different kinds o dictionars. The simplest consists o Heidwirds and their meanins, arranged in alphabetical order.

It's easy tae mak a wird leet like this, especially if ye are daein it on a computer. A ye need tae be able tae dae is pit wirds in the richt order an say whit they mean. Here are a puckle wirds tae try sortin in order, jist tae mak siccar that ye're daein it richt:

Kail, brose, kipper, parritch, tatties, neeps ,breid, broth, stovies, bannock, bap.

Click here tae hide the answer.

Answer:

Bannock, bap, breid, brose, broth, kail, kipper, neeps, parritch, tatties, stovies.

It's no sae hard tae get the first letter o ilka work sortit oot, but ye need tae tak tent tae a the letters. That wey, bannock comes afore bap because n comes afore p, an bannock an bap baith come afore breid because a comes afore r. Whit wey does brose hae tae come afore broth?

Noo see if ye can stert aff yer ain dictionar by pittin meanins tae the wee leet ye hae jist gotten. Yaise ane o wir dictionars gin ye dinnae ken thir wirds yersel.

Hints on layoot:

• Mak yer heidwird look different frae its meanin.
• Ye cud maybe yaise bold for the heid wird, tae mak it stand oot.

Be a Beezer

Whit ither information wad turn this frae a wird leet intae a rael dictionar? Afore ye stert, tak time tae think aboot the kind o dictionar ye want tae mak. Here are a puckle things tae think aboot.

1. Are the definitions tae be in English or Scots?
2. Whit information are ye goin tae gie, forby the meanins?
3. Whit are ye gaun tae dae aboot spellin?

English or Scots? Whit ye decide tae dae aboot his will depend on wha is gaun tae yaise yer dictionar. Dae they speak ony Scots already?

Maist dictionars say whit wird cless ilk entry belongs til: is it a noun or a pronoun or a verb or an adjective or an adverb or a preposition? If ye want tae dae this but ye're nae affa shair o yer wird classes, tak a luik at the Grammar Broonie.

It is maist helpfu if ye can gie a guid example o a wird bein yaised, either what ye owerheard somebody say or whit ye hae seen written doon.

Are ye gaun tae gie the pronunciation o yer headwirds? That can be harder nor ye micht think. The best wey is tae yaise the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and tae dae this, ye'll need tae learn the IPA symbols. The consonants are easy, but the vowels can be mair o a puzzle. See the introduction to the CSD, section 5.

Are gaun tae gie the etymologies or origins o yer headwirds? Ye wid hae tae look up anither dictionar tae find these oot. Again, think aboot the fowk that will yaise yer dictionar. Wid this information be o muckle yiss tae them?

Spellin. Naebody has been teachin Scots spellin in scuils sae maist o us are nae quite shair whit wey tae spell a lot o Scots wirds. Dinnae let that pit ye aff. Ye cud yaise the CSD as a guid or ye cud yaiss the Scots Language Society recommendations or ye cud spell it the wey you think is best. Just pit a wee note in the introduction tae yer dictionary tae tell aabody whit ye decided tae dae.

Be a Beezer