Computational Lexicography: A Feature-based Approach in Designing an E-dictionary of Chinese Classifiers

Chinese noun classifiers are obligatory as a category in association with nouns. Conventional dictionaries include classifiers as lexical entries but explanations given are very brief and thus hardly helpful for L2 learners. This paper presents a new design of an edictionary of Chinese classifiers. The design is based on both theoretical studies of Chinese classifiers and empirical studies of Chinese classifier acquisition by both children and adults. My main argument with regards to Chinese classifier acquisition is that cognitive strategies with a bottom-up approach are the key to the understanding of the complexity of classifier and noun associations. The noun-dependent semantic features of classifiers are evidence to support my argument. These features are categorically defined and stored in a separated database in an elearning environment linked to the edictionary. The aim of making such a design is to provide a platform for L2 learners to explore and learn with a bottom-up approach the associations of classifiers with nouns. The computational agent-based model that automatically links noun features to that of classifiers is the technical part of the design that will be described in detail in the paper. Future development of the e-dictionary will be discussed as well.