Update README.org
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Hanshen Wang
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README.org
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README.org
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@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ proliferated and become quite useful, and there are some nice packages available
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like [[https://github.com/abo-abo/define-word][define-word]] which make use of such online resources.
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However, the quicker I can know more about the words I'm using, the better!
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Offline dictionaries are obviously the way to go then, and the Console
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implementation of StarDict already has a package or two for Emacs which I can
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build off.
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Offline dictionaries are obviously the way to go then. StarDict and its
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predecessor Dict, are the open-source standards for dictionary network
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protocols. The Console implementation of StarDict already has a package or two
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for Emacs which I can build off.
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However, I'd like to really focus on the words, and making it easy and intuitive
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as possible to gain a greater understanding of the words and phrases we use.
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@ -22,35 +23,169 @@ tools among other backends (such as any future GoldenDict CLI).
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From there it could be nice to allow for combination of multiple tools (e.g.
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=sdcv= + online service).
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This has rich support for the following dictionaries:
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+ [[http://download.huzheng.org/dict.org/stardict-dictd-web1913-2.4.2.tar.bz2][Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)]]
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+ [[https://packages.debian.org/sid/dict-gcide][GCIDE]] (with conversion from dict to StarDict)
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+ [[http://download.huzheng.org/bigdict/stardict-Soule_s_Dictionary_of_English_Synonyms-2.4.2.tar.bz2][Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms]]
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+ [[http://download.huzheng.org/dict.org/stardict-dictd_www.dict.org_elements-2.4.2.tar.bz2][Elements Database]]
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+ [[https://github.com/tuxor1337/dictmaster][Douglas Harper's Online Etymology Dictionary]]
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* Background
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It's only natural if one does all their text-editing in Emacs to want a
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dictionary at hand, and quickly.
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- For those that believe a dictionary can *only* be used to look up words you
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don't already know...
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- For those who have yet to see the downsides with online, free, dictionaries
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(a fair number being derivations of Wordnet[fn:1])...
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If there's something you feel is missing, feel free to make an issue --- or even
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better, a PR!
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This excellent essay should disabuse you:
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[[http://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary][You’re probably using the wrong dictionary « the jsomers.net blog]][fn:2]
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What follows is brief survey of the state of dictionary packages on MELPA
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+ define-word.el
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- Simple package, already part of some emacs starter frameworks, i.e.
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Spacemacs
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- Offers the smallest dictionary selection (should you want a different
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aggregation of dictionaries than wordNik)
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- [[https://oremacs.com/2015/05/22/define-word/][Designed to work with online dictionaries for the most part,]] results are
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displayed in the minibuffer
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+ dictionary.el
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- Proven package, mature and stable, works "out of the box"
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- If you are okay with being online to look up words and do not want an
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offline dictionary
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- If you are okay with the selection of dictionaries used by the server
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dict.org
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- These two qualifications do not apply if you take the time to setup your
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own dictd server and modify dictionary.el to use your local server
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+ helm-dictionary.el
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- Integration with Helm
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- Uses the offline =.ding= dictionary format. Includes fallback to online
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dictionaries
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- [[https://github.com/emacs-helm/helm-dictionary/issues/21][Does not support the more standard .dict format.]] Could not locate a .dict
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to .ding converter
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+ lexic.el (successor to [[https://github.com/pluskid/sdcv-mode/blob/master/sdcv-mode.el][sdcv-mode.el]] and [[https://github.com/gucong/emacs-sdcv][sdcv.el]]) N.b. sdcv.el is the package
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that is refereed to in [[https://irreal.org/blog/?p=9189][The Webster 1913 Dictionary | Irreal]]
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- Supports easy conversion of .dict files to .dic format. Big selection of
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.dic dictionaries already available
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- Designed for those who desire to query multiple dictionaries/thesauri
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offline with minimal config and no server
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- Good formatting support for certain dictionaries
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Packages that are OS-specific (osx-dictionary for Mac users), meant for
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spell-checking, auto-completion, or are language-specific were not included.
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After some usage, it can be said that for *querying a customized list of
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multiple dictionaries offline*, lexic.el offers the best experience with the
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least setup.
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* Requirements
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+ The command line stardict tool =sdcv= (support for other backends is planned)
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+ The command line stardict tool [[https://github.com/Dushistov/sdcv][sdcv]] (support for other backends is planned).
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+ (/optional/) ~visual-fill-column-mode~
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* Configuration
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* Installation
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1. Lexic.el is on MELPA, and can alternatively be installed by placing the
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package on your load-path.
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#+begin_src emacs-lisp
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(require 'lexic-mode)
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(global-set-key (kbd "C-c d") 'lexic-search)
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#+end_src
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2. Dictionary (Thesaurus) download
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Index list of =.dic= dictionaries from the StarDict developer is located here:
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[[http://download.huzheng.org/][StarDict Dictionaries]].
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Of particular interest,
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- [[http://download.huzheng.org/dict.org/][dictd-www.dict.org Dictionaries]]
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Websters 1913 unabridged is located here.
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- [[http://download.huzheng.org/freedict.de/][dictd-www.freedict.de Dictionaries]]
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- [[http://download.huzheng.org/bigdict/][Big dictionaries]]
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The venerable [[https://public.oed.com/about/][Oxford English Dictionary 2nd Ed.]] is located here.
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Once you have downloaded your dictionary, the default location sdcv expects
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to find your local dictionaries is =/$HOME/.stardict/dic/=. In older versions
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of the software it was =/usr/share/stardict/dic/= [fn:3].
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If the downloaded dictionary is a .bz2 file:
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#+begin_src bash
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sudo tar -xvjf downloaded.tar.bz2 -C ~/.stardict/dic/
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#+end_src
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If the downloaded dictionary is a .gz file:
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#+begin_src bash
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sudo tar -xvzf downloaded.tar.gz -C ~/.stardict/dic/
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#+end_src
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You can test your sdcv installation at this point in the terminal with
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#+begin_src bash
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sdcv word
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#+end_src
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3. Construct lexic-dictionary-specs
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Make the dictionary known to lexic.el. Now inside the newly extracted
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directory (you may need to give yourself read/write permissions) will be the
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=.ifo= file.
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In order to recognise format one of the supported dictionaries, Lexic matches
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the =bookname== parameter from the StarDict =.ifo= file against the entries in
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~lexic-dictionary-specs~. Lexic needs to do this, because formatting is
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inconsistent, and so must be implemented on a per-dictionary basis.
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For example, if I downloaded a copy of /Soule's English Synonyms/, I'd need to
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make sure that the =SoulesSynonymns.ifo= file contains the line
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~bookname=Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms~. Check the value of
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~lexic-dictionary-specs~ to see what it expects for other dictionaries
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supported by default.
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Then, if I open a new Emacs session, and look for a synonym I should see it
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formatted nicely 🙂.
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*Important:* dictionaries *DO NOT* need to have a format function. You can most
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definitely use the dictionary without. i.e.
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#+begin_src emacs-lisp
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(setq lexic-dictionary-specs '("Hitchcock's Bible Names
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Dictionary" :short "Hitcchcock's Bible Names" :priority 3))
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#+end_src
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The currently pre-defined format functions are for:
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+ [[http://download.huzheng.org/dict.org/stardict-dictd-web1913-2.4.2.tar.bz2][Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)]] =(lexic-format-webster)=
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+ [[https://packages.debian.org/sid/dict-gcide][GCIDE]] (with conversion from dict to StarDict) =(lexic-format-webster)=
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+ [[http://download.huzheng.org/bigdict/stardict-Soule_s_Dictionary_of_English_Synonyms-2.4.2.tar.bz2][Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms]] =(lexic-format-soule)=
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+ [[http://download.huzheng.org/dict.org/stardict-dictd_www.dict.org_elements-2.4.2.tar.bz2][Elements Database]] =(lexic-format-element)=
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+ [[https://github.com/tuxor1337/dictmaster][Douglas Harper's Online Etymology Dictionary]] =(lexic-format-online-eytm)=
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If there's something you feel is missing, feel free to make an issue --- or
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even better, a PR!
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* Configuration & Usage
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If you happen to use Doom, you may find [[https://tecosaur.github.io/emacs-config/config.html#dictionary][this section]] of my config interesting.
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In order to recognise format one of the supported dictionaries, Lexic
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matches the =bookname== parameter from the StarDict =.ifo= file against the entries
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in ~lexic-dictionary-specs~. Lexic needs to do this, because formatting is
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inconsistent, and so must be implemented on a per-dictionary basis.
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Beyond =lexic-search= there exists,
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For example, if I downloaded a copy of /Soule's English Synonyms/, I'd need to
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make sure that the =SoulesSynonymns.ifo= file contains the line ~bookname=Soule's
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Dictionary of English Synonyms~. Check the value of ~lexic-dictionary-specs~ to see
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what it expects for other dictionaries supported by default.
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Then, if I open a new Emacs session, and look for a synonym I should see it
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formatted nicely 🙂.
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1. The command =lexic-search-word-at-point=
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2. Toggling and folding of entries. Lexic.el uses outline.el (think org-mode).
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See =outline-show-all= etc. under =lexic-mode-map=
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3. Search history with =lexic-search-history-backwards= and
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=lexic-search-history-forwards=
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* Demo
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[[https://tecosaur.com/lfs/lexic/lexic.gif]]
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* Footnotes
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[fn:1] [[https://wordnet.princeton.edu/related-projects][List of Wordnet projects.]] As a medieval Thomist would say: Abusus non
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tollit usum. It is obvious from the outset, [[https://medium.com/broken-window/the-power-of-wordnet-with-nltk-7c45b20f52cf][wordnet was made to be usable
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primarily by machines.]] If we follow the money, it leads us to the same
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conclusion. Funding for the project [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordNet#History_and_team_members][includes a litany of government agencies:]]
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U.S. Office of Naval Research, DARPA, the National Science Foundation, the
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Disruptive Technology Office etc. Against those who argue for the pedagogical
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value, it should be noted that advanced learner's and collocation dictionaries
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are more enriching and better suited.
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[fn:2] [[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7772557][Hacker News Discussion (2014)]]
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[fn:3] [[https://askubuntu.com/questions/191125/is-there-an-offline-command-line-dictionary/191268#191268][software recommendation - Is there an offline command-line dictionary? -
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Ask ...]]
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