Microsoft Word Lx14steyn doc

Example 5: A secondary text in LDOCE 
3.5 
Alphabetical ordering, multiword units and collocations
The following three elements also form part of the outer access structure and 
have to be included in the dictionary planning phase. Firstly, the alphabetical 
ordering of the macrostructure facilitates access to lemmata since all users may 
be reasonably expected to master the alphabet. Opitz (1983: 172) states that the 
first and foremost of the required skills of the dictionary user is the ability to 
find and identify lexical items in a total word list. In practically all cultures and 
at almost all levels of activity, the alphabet as established by the language com-
munity in question, serves to forge a reliable link of communication between 
individuals and groups of different intellectual or occupational levels. The or-
dering of the macrostructure is, however, not so trivial because of a typical dis-
tinction between straight alphabetical ordering and an ordering presenting a 
sinuous lemma file. 
In straight alphabetical ordering main lemmata are typically displayed 
whereas a sinuous lemma file presents sublemmata together with the main 
lemmata. The placing of sublemmata can create problems for users in terms of 
retrievability and accessibility. The system of the dictionary concerning sub-
lemmata, like compounds and derivatives, has to be explained and illustrated 
in the front matter of the dictionary. Where learners with a restricted knowl-
edge of a language are concerned, it would be best to restrict the inclusion of 
sublemmata to a minimum. If the lexicographer decides to include sublemmata 

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because of a more advanced language knowledge of the users or because of 
space considerations, they must be marked by non-typographical markers and 
treated consistently. 
The following examples illustrate possible external access problems that 
users might experience because of an inaccessible placement of sublemmata.