D3. FLEx Sense-Level Fields

This lesson provides a guide to sense-level fields in FLEx, explaining their purpose and how to enter data correctly. Here’s a summary:

Objective:

• Learn about sense-level fields in FLEx and how they structure word meanings.

• Differentiate entry-level fields (general word info) from sense-level fields (specific meanings).

• Correctly input restrictions, dialect labels, scientific names, and usage notes.

Key Topics:

1. What Are Sense-Level Fields?

• Sense-level fields describe specific meanings of a word.

• A single word entry can have multiple senses, each with unique properties.

• Fields include gloss, definition, examples, grammatical info, and additional metadata.

2. Managing Sense-Level Fields in FLEx

• The order of fields is fixed in Lexicon Edit view but customizable in publications.

• Sense data can be structured into primary senses and subsenses.

3. Key Sense-Level Fields

Restrictions

• Specifies grammatical or semantic limits for a sense.

  • Example: Greek akantha (ἄκανθα) – singular = "thorn"; plural = "thorn plant."

• Ensures correct usage in contextual searches.

Dialect Labels (Sense)

• Tags a specific sense as used in a regional dialect.

  • Example: French chat = "cat" (standard) but "raccoon" (Québecois dialect).

• Helps create dialect-specific word lists.

Scientific Name

• Stores the Latin binomial name for biological terms.

  • Example: lion → Panthera leo.

• Important for dictionaries covering plants, animals, and natural sciences.

Bibliography

• Records reference sources for a sense.

  • Used when definitions or scientific terms are based on published research.

Encyclopedic Info

• Stores cultural, historical, or technical details beyond the core definition.

  • Can be included or excluded in publications based on the audience.

Source

• Records who contributed the information (e.g., researcher’s name, village).

• Used primarily for internal reference, not dictionary publication.

Usages

• Categorizes words by social or linguistic function.

  • Examples: archaic, slang, offensive, honorific.

  • Helps filter or exclude words in formal vs. informal dictionaries.

Sense Type

• Categorizes a meaning as primary or figurative.

  • Example: well (hole for water) vs. well (source of emotions).

  • Figurative meanings are usually marked in dictionaries.

Academic Domains

• Classifies a word sense by academic field (e.g., linguistics, medicine, botany).

  • Helps create technical glossaries.

Anthropology Categories

• Uses Outline of Cultural Materials (OCM) to classify words.

  • Example: snowshoe → “transportation” and “clothing.”

  • Helps organize ethnographic dictionaries.

Status

• Marks a sense as tentative, confirmed, pending, or disproved.

  • Useful for filtering uncertain or unverified entries.

Exemplar

• Stores inflected word forms that apply to a specific sense.

  • Example: finances (plural only usage in certain meanings).

4. Practical Activities

• Exercises include:

  • Adding dialect labels, scientific names, and usage labels.

  • Organizing figurative vs. primary senses.

  • Assigning academic and anthropology categories.

Completion:

• Includes hands-on practice and a quiz (80% passing score).

• Encourages applying these principles in real FLEx projects.

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