C9. Choosing a Citation Form

This lesson provides a guide to choosing a citation form for dictionary entries in FLEx, distinguishing it from the lexeme form and explaining selection principles. Here’s a summary:

Objective:

• Understand the difference between citation form and lexeme form.

• Learn when a citation form differs from the lexeme form.

• Apply principles to choose the best citation form.

Key Topics:

1. What is a Lexeme Form?

• The lexeme form is the root or stem of a word representing all its inflected forms.

• Example:

  • English: jump (lexeme form) → jumps, jumping, jumped.

  • Spanish: escrib- (root) → escribo, escribes, escribe.

2. What is a Citation Form?

• The citation form (or headword) is the main form used in a dictionary.

• It serves as the title of the dictionary entry.

• Often, the citation form = lexeme form, but not always.

3. General Principles for Choosing a Citation Form

1. Recognizable as a word – Must occur naturally in speech.

   • Example: Spanish uses escribir (infinitive), not escrib-.

2. Proper alphabetization – The chosen form should help users find words easily.

   • Example: muti (‘tree’ in Sena) instead of -ti.

3. Consistency within a category – Use the same citation form type for all verbs, nouns, etc.

4. Mother-tongue speaker input – Validate choices with native speakers.

4. Choosing Citation Forms for Different Word Types

• Verbs:

  • Many languages use infinitive (e.g., Spanish: escribir).

  • Others use third-person singular (e.g., English: write).

  • Imperative forms are usually not recommended.

• Nouns:

  • Singular form is preferred (e.g., tree vs. trees).

  • In some languages, possessed forms are used (e.g., Lou: matan in ‘his eye’).

5. Characteristics of a Good Citation Form

• Naturalness – Occurs in normal conversation.

• Simplicity – Has minimal affixation.

• Brevity – Shorter forms are preferred.

• Frequency – Commonly used in speech.

• Productivity – Can generate other inflected forms.

• Basic Meaning – Represents the simplest concept.

6. Issues in Citation Form Selection

• Imperative Forms: May have irregular meanings, making them unreliable.

• Infinitives: Some languages don’t have them, so forcing one is unnatural.

• Compounds & Derived Words: Should be separate dictionary entries.

• Idioms: Listed as subentries under key words.

7. How FLEx Handles Citation Forms

• Lexeme Form: The root or stem.

• Citation Form: The headword in a dictionary.

• Headword Field: A fallback field that displays either the citation form (if filled) or the lexeme form.

8. Practical Activities in FLEx

• Adding and modifying citation forms in the Lexicon Edit view.

• Configuring headword display using the Configure Dictionary Tool.

• Testing the impact of citation forms on dictionary layout.

Completion:

• The lesson includes hands-on exercises for setting citation forms.

• A quiz (80% passing score) ensures understanding.

• Recommendations for further reading and feedback opportunities.

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com