Related Software

Fieldworks Language Explorer (FLEx) – SIL’s lexicon building and analysis program. Includes export for use with Lexique Pro.

WeSay – Helps non-linguists build a dictionary in their own language. It has various ways to help native speakers to think of words in their language and enter some basic data about them (no backslash codes, just forms to fill in). The program is customizable and task-oriented, giving the advisor the ability to turn on/off tasks as needed and as the user receives training for those tasks. Users can collaborate via USB flash drive and email. Includes export to Lexique Pro.

Toolbox – A database program for entering and managing linguistic data (SIL International).

Keyman – A utility that allows you to define keyboard combinations to type special characters (SIL International).

Dictionary Building Strategies and Documentation

Multi-Dictionary Formatter – A description of the MDF file format (SIL International).

Lexicon Interchange FormaT (LIFT) – An XML format for storing lexical information, as used in the creation of dictionaries. Lexique Pro provides import and export in LIFT format. LIFT format is also used by WeSay and FLEx.

Dictionary Development Program – A method for collecting lots of dictionary entries quickly using semantic domains (Ron Moe, SIL International).

SIL Comparative African Wordlist – Collectively, linguistic research in Africa has produced a wealth of lexical data, and while these data often serve useful purposes in their individual projects, their use to comparative linguistics is minimal, given their lack of a standard format. The SIL Comparative African Wordlist (1700 words) is therefore an attempt to offer a format for these data that is more amenable to comparative analysis.