Correcting Errors in Digital Lexicographic Resources Using a Dictionary Manipulation Language

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel paradigm that combines manual and automatic error correction in digital lexicographic resources using a simple, interpreted programming language called Dictionary Manipulation Language (DML), enabling efficient editing.

Contribution

It presents DML, a new language for expressing and automating corrections in structured lexicographic data, improving error correction processes.

Findings

DML allows precise node identification and manipulation.

Automated DML commands effectively correct recurring errors.

Manual DML editing facilitates one-off error repairs.

Abstract

We describe a paradigm for combining manual and automatic error correction of noisy structured lexicographic data. Modifications to the structure and underlying text of the lexicographic data are expressed in a simple, interpreted programming language. Dictionary Manipulation Language (DML) commands identify nodes by unique identifiers, and manipulations are performed using simple commands such as create, move, set text, etc. Corrected lexicons are produced by applying sequences of DML commands to the source version of the lexicon. DML commands can be written manually to repair one-off errors or generated automatically to correct recurring problems. We discuss advantages of the paradigm for the task of editing digital bilingual dictionaries.