Tips on using Hindi dictionaries (on-line and book)

[carla]

There are often questions on the Miscellaneous Hindi thread that could readily be answered with a dictionary.  I am sure that people have different reasons for choosing the thread instead of going to a dictionary.  But I think at least part of the problem is that people have trouble finding words in dictionaries.  I would like to share some observations I've made and techniques I've developed in the time I've been studying Hindi in earnest. 

This doesn't mean I won't answer "what does this word mean" questions - I just want to help everyone learn.  Facility with dictionaries is a very valuable learning tool.  In addition to print dictionaries,  there are some great on-line resources as well - we have other threads about them (like this one), and I'll be highlighting some in particular here.  In short, this post is meant to help you become a power-user of these resources and really use them to your advantage.  And, I hope others will chime in with their own tips and observations too.

Okay, on to the tips:

1. Analyze the word you are trying to find.

I think one of the reasons people sometimes give up on dictionaries is because they have trouble finding the word they want when the word is inflected or conjugated or otherwise not in dictionary headword form.  When you want to look up a word in a dictionary, use your knowledge of grammar to help you figure out what the appropriate headword might be.  Look at the endings on the word and its apparent function in the sentence to figure out whether it's a verb or a noun or another word that might be inflected. 

* does the word end in -taa, -tii, or -te, or -ke or -kar?  It might be an inflected form of a verb - try looking up the verb in its infinitive (-naa) form.

* does the word end in -e, -iyaa.N, -o.N, or similar?  It might be an inflected noun - try looking for the words with the direct, singular ending.

* does the word begin with be-, a- or an-, or laa-?  These are common prefixes that have a negating effect, like English un- or in-.  be- usually indicates negation in words of Persian origin; a- and an- in words of Sanskrit origin; and laa- in words of Arabic origin.  Often common words like bechaar, bekhabar, &c. will not be listed as headwords in their own right.  Try looking up the word without the prefix, to get the meaning of the non-negated version.  Also, look up common prefixes like "be-" - dictionaries often give a long, useful list of common words that occur with that prefix.  Oxford has many entries like this, as does Platt's on-line dictionary.

You get the idea.  You can't just look up words as you come across them in texts; you need to use your knowledge of Hindi to unpack the word into its constituent parts and figure out where to look. 
 
2. For on-line dictionaries, the most important tip is:  Know the transcription scheme.

The Platt's on-line dictionary is truly wonderful.  But it's very hard to use, because it has a different transcription scheme for words of Sanskritic origin on the one hand, and words of Perso-Arabic origin on the other.  For example, the sound श is represented by "sha" in Perso-Arabic entries, but by "śa" in the Sanskritic entries.  This can be extremely confusing and make it very hard to use the dictionary. 

I recommend that you study the entries in Platt's for a variety of words that you already know in order to get the hang of the transcription scheme.  If you are not sure of the origin of the word you are looking up, or unsure of the correct transcription for any reason, you may have to try more than one search to find the entry you want. 

My advice when using Platt's is:  on the search screen, tick the boxes marked "Search entry words only (not definitions)" and "Words starting with  (Example: jan)"   Then just type in the first couple of letters of the word you are looking for, and scan the resulting list for your entry.  This saves a lot of headaches in trying to figure out how to transcribe a word. 

Platt's uses diacritic markers and unusual characters in displaying its transcriptions, but its search is smart enough that you do not have to type these in.  For example, the Sanskritic word "आश्रम" is displayed as "āśram", but you can find it by searching for "asram."    This is handy when you can't remember where the long vowels in a word occur, for example, or whether a "da" is dental or retroflex. 

Other on-line dictionaries will use different transcription schemes.  My advice here is:  don't be afraid to try multiple spellings to find the word you want.  (In fact, I often have to do this with print dictionaries as well, if I am not certain of the correct spelling of the word.)  One of my favorite Urdu dictionaries on-line is this one; it is excellent and easy to use but its transcription scheme is not consistent.  It sometimes takes several tries to find the word I am hunting for. 

3.  Know your dictionary. 

This ties in to both points 1 and 2 above; you need to understand how words are organized and displayed in your dictionary.  If you are using a print dictionary like the Oxford, you need to master Devanagari and Devanagari alphabetical order.  I have stressed in other places the value I perceive in learning Devanagari, so I won't belabor the point here. 

But more than just knowing the dictionary order, it's helpful to know how your dictionary is organized and what the abbreviations in it mean.  Take a few minutes to read the introduction.    Learning how words are displayed in the dictionary and what its notations tell you about word origin and usage will help maximize what you get out of your time with the dictionary.  Many dictionaries like Oxford and Platt's include lists of common compounds and even idiomatic expressions in addition to head-word meanings; this can be extremely valuable, particularly when you are facing a confusing usage of a familiar word.

That's all I can think of at the moment; I hope it's useful to other learners.  Please supply your own tips and observations, ask questions, &c.  This could be a very helpful thread for all of us trying to increase our knowledge of Hindi and Urdu. 

[carla]

Following up on myself with a few observations about "dilchasp" since that word came up in the thread that started it all. 

"dilchasp" illustrates several of the points I made above.  For one, it's a compound, and so it's not found in most dictionaries under its own headword but instead in a long, long list of common compounds under the head-entry for "dil."  Second, in Platt's, the transcription "dil-chasp" would not find it, because Platt's transcribes "cha" as "ća". 

I found "dilchasp" in Platt's by searching for the main entry "dil" and then scanning the long list of compounds under that entry. I looked with my eye, and then - suspecting that "cha" would be transcribed with a diacritic, I searched the page for "asp" and found it instantly.  Helps, again, to know your dictionary.

Here is the head-entry for dil in Platt's - have a look at all that richness there.  You can learn a ton of Hindi just by reading through that a couple of times. 

[Daniel]

For example, the sound श is represented by "sha" in Perso-Arabic entries, but by "śa" in the Sanskritic entries.  This can be extremely confusing and make it very hard to use the dictionary.

Wow.  Carla.  You are awesome.  Platts has been SUCH a pain to use online that for the most part, I just lug my original Platts hard copy around with me. 
By the way, perhaps you could make a modification to include a link to our list of online dictionaries, which I am sure exists somewhere here. 

Incidentally, I am waiting for the day that someone comes up with a dictionary of Hindi that even approaches this one for Urdu: http://www.crulp.org/oud/.  That dictionary has changed my entire life, made my Hindi Urdu reading everything so much faster.  No need to search out words.  Just type out the word and press enter!   Here's the entry on dilchasp: http://www.crulp.org/oud/ViewWord.aspx?refid=6202

(PS they have an equally awesome dictionary for Sindhi-English: http://www.crulp.org/sed/HomePage.aspx)

[v9y]

Wow.  Carla.  You are awesome.  Platts has been SUCH a pain to use online that for the most part, I just lug my original Platts hard copy around with me. 
By the way, perhaps you could make a modification to include a link to our list of online dictionaries, which I am sure exists somewhere here. 

Incidentally, I am waiting for the day that someone comes up with a dictionary of Hindi that even approaches this one for Urdu: http://www.crulp.org/oud/.  That dictionary has changed my entire life, made my Hindi Urdu reading everything so much faster.  No need to search out words.  Just type out the word and press enter!   Here's the entry on dilchasp: http://www.crulp.org/oud/ViewWord.aspx?refid=6202

(PS they have an equally awesome dictionary for Sindhi-English: http://www.crulp.org/sed/HomePage.aspx)

Have you tried http://www.cfilt.iitb.ac.in/~hdict/webinterface_user/dict_search_user.php for Hindi?

[Daniel]

I haven't.  But English Hindi dictionaries are not as useful to me.  I usually only need it the other way around.  I tried to search for the word majboori but "We found 0 entries of 'मजबूरी' in the Hindi dictionary."  Under 'compulsion' they provide अनिवार्यता and दबाव.  I think most English-Hindi dictionaries are worthless for the average user because they are way too agenda-driven (ie what is Hindi and what is not Hindi.) This is what makes the McGregor dictionary (Hindi - English) exceptional.
But this looks like a well made and useful dictionary, otherwise, and I will turn to it for all my sanskritic and Indic needs.  But I think I will have to keep up my Maatam (also not in dictionary!) for the lack of a Hindi - English dictionary online that is comprehensive, easy to use, and...not ugly.  
Thanks for passing it on, though, it really will be of use.  I just don't like dictionaries with such overt and violent agendas.

[latishya]

I haven't.  But English Hindi dictionaries are not as useful to me.  I usually only need it the other way around.  I tried to search for the word majboori but "We found 0 entries of 'मजबूरी' in the Hindi dictionary."

What's wrong with this one? That site is also a bit like a wiki allowing user entries.

[v9y]

I haven't.  But English Hindi dictionaries are not as useful to me.  I usually only need it the other way around.  I tried to search for the word majboori but "We found 0 entries of 'मजबूरी' in the Hindi dictionary."  Under 'compulsion' they provide अनिवार्यता and दबाव.  I think most English-Hindi dictionaries are worthless for the average user because they are way too agenda-driven (ie what is Hindi and what is not Hindi.) This is what makes the McGregor dictionary (Hindi - English) exceptional.

This dictionary works both ways. It's not very friendly though. I searched 'मजबूर' and got a handful of results. With 'मजबूरी' you don't get many, but still do. The trick is to check the 'Like' radio button instead of 'Exact'. Also below the box check "Hindi word(unicode)" before submitting. मातम is also there. Here's the first result for it:

मातम
mourning
N,MALE,INANI,ABS,VDSH,NOTCH,Na
sadness that you show and feel because sb has died
The government announced a day of national mourning for the victims.
[ H, 0, 0]

But this looks like a well made and useful dictionary, otherwise, and I will turn to it for all my sanskritic and Indic needs.  But I think I will have to keep up my Maatam (also not in dictionary!) for the lack of a Hindi - English dictionary online that is comprehensive, easy to use, and...not ugly.  

Thanks for passing it on, though, it really will be of use.  I just don't like dictionaries with such overt and violent agendas.

[Daniel]

This dictionary works both ways. It's not very friendly though. I searched 'मजबूर' and got a handful of results. With 'मजबूरी' you don't get many, but still do. The trick is to check the 'Like' radio button instead of 'Exact'. Also below the box check "Hindi word(unicode)" before submitting. मातम is also there. Here's the first result for it:

मातम
mourning
N,MALE,INANI,ABS,VDSH,NOTCH,Na
sadness that you show and feel because sb has died
The government announced a day of national mourning for the victims.
[ H, 0, 0]

oh!  Well, that is fantastic.  I guess I take back all my comments then.  I should have played around with it a bit more.  This is great news. 
As for shabkosh...its getting better.

The one thing I still like about the Urdu one is that it gives definitions in Urdu primarily, so all of the full meanings of a word are explained as in a normal dictionary, plus translation and etymology.  It will also  figure out what you are trying to spell...ie if i put in abhura, it will ask me if what I really wanted was adhura.  But still, this is wonderful, then.  Wish it had a better layout though.  It looks like it was designed in 1992.

[carla]

Thanks for the comments everyone, and especially to the links to some dictionaries I hadn't seen before.   I added a link to the Resource Room thread on dictionaries, and I would appreciate it if you all would add your dictionary links there; this thread was is not meant to duplicate that excellent list of resources but rather to be a place to discuss ideas for better using those resources. 

Daniel:  I appreciated your comment about some dictionaries having an "agenda" - it's a problem I have with shabdkosh.com, which tends toward shuddh Hindi - it's fine for that, as long as users know that's what they are getting when they use it.  Often new learners are not aware of such issues, or even if they are they may not yet have learned how to recognize what kind of words they are being presented with.   

Since I most often look up words from movies and songs a dictionary with lots of Perso-Arabic words is essential to me, and that's why my first choices are Oxford (MacGregor) when I'm using a book, and Platt's when I'm on line. 

I have also seen that gorgeous on-line Urdu dictionary you pointed to.  I have a link to it in my del.icio.us file waiting for the day I master Urdu script well enough to use it...

[royalibrahim]

Following are my favorite (dictionary) links that fuels me for my English-Urdu learning/Understanding: (arranged according to their usage)
 
http://www.urduword.com/

http://www.dictionaryurdu.com/

http://www.cfilt.iitb.ac.in/~hdict/webinterface_user/dict_search_user.php

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/platts/

http://www.urdu123.com/translation/



Tutorials:
~~~~~~~

http://www.phrasebase.com/forum/read.php?TID=864&PID=

http://www.ukindia.com/zhin001.htm

http://taj.chass.ncsu.edu/lessons.html

http://www.pegham.com/

http://www.urdupages.com/archive/index.php/f-29.html

http://www.languageshome.com/English-Urdu.htm

http://hindiseekho1.blogspot.com/

[DCgal]

What is a good basic dictionary for beginners?  I am tippy-toeing into learning Hindi.  Initially it will have to be all self-study until I line up a tutor later this year.  I am just starting to learn devanagari script, but hope to have that under my belt in a few months.  Thoughts?

[omlick]

What is a good basic dictionary for beginners?  I am tippy-toeing into learning Hindi.  Initially it will have to be all self-study until I line up a tutor later this year.  I am just starting to learn devanagari script, but hope to have that under my belt in a few months.  Thoughts?

I think you will need to learn the Devanagari script to make any headway with most dictionaries that are any good.  Nothing is as important as the Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary by McGregor.

[DCgal]

I think you will need to learn the Devanagari script to make any headway with most dictionaries that are any good.  Nothing is as important as the Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary by McGregor.

Thanks! I am busily learning the Devanagari now.  So far less than a week into it, but I have flash cards for about 1/3 of the consonants and am practicing every day.  I find it easier so far to recognize the characters and associate a sound with them than to remember how to write each one.  Practice, practice...

I'm not quite ready for a real dictionary yet, but it's good to have that info for down the road.

[chinchinchu]

Great tips, Carla! For recommendations of dictionaries, check out the thread on this in the "Resource Room" section of The Language Corner.

[spellstone]

I have just discovered Hindi-English part of the Google translator.  Seriously, works wonders for my wild guesses as to 'what would this word be that sounds like...' since it lets you type in latin letters (with the 'phonetic input' checkbox ticked)  and comes up with devanagari as you type.  Very helpful, even if not 100% accurate. Seems to be in development.