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Chukwuma Livinus Ndububa

The National Open University of Nigeria, Nigeria

 

Abstract

By acknowledging efforts or contributing to improvements, researchers have a basic responsibility to dictionary writers and readers of research. This study investigates phonological and lexical inconsistencies in the 10th edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD), focusing on transcription errors, incomplete lexical entries, and lexicographic formatting issues. Adopting Tarp and Bergenholtz's (2003) Communicative Lexicography, it evaluates phonological precision in the OALD and analyzes errors in selected lexical items, identifying deviations from standard linguistic and lexicographic expectations. Using a qualitative, comparative approach, data were collected by analyzing OALD entries and cross-referencing them with authoritative sources. Findings reveal omissions of phrasal lemma parts in phonemic representation, inconsistencies in transcriptions across lemmas, and inaccuracies in the pronunciation of anglicized words based on their origins. Additionally, some grammatical information does not align with common English usage, while proper nouns are not alphabetized using the surname-first inversion. These inconsistencies raise concerns about OALD's reliability as a reference for learners and educators. The study contributes to morphophonological and lexicographic research by highlighting the need for improved linguistic validation in monolingual learner dictionaries.

 

Keywords

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, transcriptions, lexical entries, misrepresentation, lexicography