C3. Create a Lexical Entry

This lesson provides a step-by-step guide on creating a new lexical entry in FLEx. Here’s a summary:

Objective:

• Learn how to create a new lexical entry in FLEx.

• Enter essential details such as lexeme form, gloss, and grammatical category.

• Understand the basic principles for structuring lexical entries.

Key Topics:

1. What is a Lexical Entry?

   • A lexical entry (or dictionary article) is a structured record in FLEx that contains:

     • The word form (lexeme form).

     • Its meaning (gloss).

     • Its part of speech (grammatical category).

2. Steps to Create a New Lexical Entry:

   • Open FLEx and navigate to Lexicon Edit view.

   • Use Insert → Entry or the toolbar icon to open the New Entry dialog.

   • Fill in key fields:

     • Lexeme Form (base form of the word).

     • Gloss (short translation or meaning).

     • Category (part of speech, e.g., noun, verb).

3. Principles for Choosing the Best Lexeme Form:

   • The lexeme form is the root or base form of a word.

   • In English, for example:

     • Run is the lexeme form, while running, ran, runs are its inflected forms.

     • Child is the lexeme form, while children is an irregular plural.

4. Guidelines for Writing a Good Gloss:

   • Keep it short (1–3 words).

   • Be specific (e.g., "maple tree" instead of "tree").

   • Use semicolons for multiple meanings (e.g., "small; little").

5. Choosing the Right Grammatical Category:

   • Select the appropriate part of speech from the drop-down list in FLEx.

   • Categories vary by language (e.g., some languages use verbs instead of adjectives for states like "cold" or "big").

6. Editing Existing Entries:

   • If a word already exists, FLEx will suggest similar entries.

   • Users can edit an existing entry instead of creating a duplicate.

7. Finalizing the Entry:

   • Click Create to save the entry.

   • The new entry appears in Lexicon Edit view, where additional details can be added later.

8. Backing Up the Database:

   • Always back up the FLEx project after adding new entries.

Completion:

• The lesson includes hands-on practice, a quiz (80% passing score), and additional resources for deeper learning.

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