How does it work?


The medium
There are various ways of storing data depending on its structure and complexity. In the case of language, a simple database structure is sufficient, at least to begin with, as language lends itself well to a simple list-like structure. Think of a paper dictionary, it is essentially just a list of words in alphabetical order with a short description of each meaning attached to the particular word. On-line dictionaries work in very much the same way, except they are not limited by space, are much easier to update and keep up to date, and more importantly, other data that is not necessarily visible to the user, but is extremely useful to the linguist or terminologist who collates the data, can be stored along with each entry. This data is called metadata and it includes information such as the date the entry was made, by whom, is it a new entry or an update to an older entry, geographical information, etc, etc. This metadata is not visible in the user interface, but it is invaluable in creating an accurate archive of the language in question, not only at a specific point in time, but also over time as the language evolves and changes.

For the sake of simplicity, anyone who wishes to contribute only has to sign up to the blog. Once you are registered, you can add anything you want to the blog, and I will document it and collate it. Ultimately, I intend to publish an on-line dictionary of the Warrington dialect for anyone and everyone to use and refer to.

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