How to use Dioskoros
This page provides a short introduction to the main functions of the online database Greek Loanwords in Coptic – Online. It is intended to help users navigate the interface, carry out searches, and interpret the result display.
1. Search
The search field at the top of the page can be used to look up entries by entering a search string.
Depending on the recognized language of the input (Unicode area Greek, Coptic, Latin/English), searches are
performed for selected fields.
Greek: Greek Lemma string for the super entry and sourceform of the given dictionary reference.
Coptic: Coptic lemma string (in future in all variant spellings).
English: equivalents in lexical meanings.
After submitting a search, the application opens the results page and displays the
matching super entries.
2. Browse by letter
The alphabetical navigation below the search field allows browsing by initial
Coptic letter. Selecting one of the letters opens a result list restricted to
entries beginning with the chosen character. This function is particularly useful
for exploratory browsing and for gaining an overview of the lexical material.
The browse by letter funtion can be further refined by the available filter options.
3. View all entries or a random entry
The links All entries and Random entry provide an immediate access to the dataset(s). All entries displays the full available result set, while Random entry opens a single record selected from the database. All entries can be used to reset the result set.
4. Filters
On the results page, available filter options can be used to narrow the current
result set. Filters help restrict the display to records that match specific
criteria and ar evalue based.
The filters are grouped into tabs.
CL grammar provides filters for core grammatical properties of the Coptic lemma.
Currently available are options for POS values and if applicable the properies causative vs non-causative.
On the results page, available filter options can be used to narrow the current
result set. Filters help restrict the display to records that match specific
criteria. All filters are combine with the operator AND automatically
and can individually be toggled on and off.
The filters are grouped into tabs.
CL status currently provides three filter options. The number of Attestations for a
particular Coptic lemma (1, 2-3 or more than 3 Attestation per individual lemma) and two types of
properties for the Coptic lemma string indicating if the lemma form is hypothetical (*; i.e. does not
appear as a attestetd variant spelling but rather constitutes a coptic form of its greek input form)
and if the lemma might show an unexpected form change. The category UFC encompasses Greek loanwords that exhibit,
in one way or another, an unexpected morphology from the perspective of Greek. A particular subgroup of UFCs can be
filtered with UFC Triadon. A text in which regularly the ending of a word is changed to fit the rhyme scheme of
the text and does not represent the expected ending.
Greek paradigm allows to filter for POS values of the Greek paradigm observes as the input form for the
loanword. The full paradigm description is given in the CL header.
Upcoming filter options will include dialects, compounds, labels, additional meaning categories
(e.g. metaphorical usage), and more.
5. Result list
The result list presents the matching Coptic lemma entries and are always shown as a complete super entry.
The Super entry comprises the top most entry level and can contain one or more Coptic Lemmata that are govern
by the same Greek word. A Coptic normalized form represents the headword of this super entry.
The following Coptic Lemma header contains the Coptic Lemma form and may be accompanied by status markers for the
graeco-morpho form (as hypothetical, unexpected or attested less than 4 times) and the POS information for the Coptic Lemma.
In parentheses a lexicon reference to a Greek dictionary is given as a Greek sozrce form documenting the
existence of the word in Greek followed by what we call a Coptic Lemmas GPO for "Greek paradigm observed"
describe the underlying Greek morphology, in the abbreviated style of the Perseus Word Study Tool.
The lexical meanings are given beneath each Coptic lemma and can contain up to five information positions:
a label (e.g. ethn. for ethnonyms), additional meaning categories (e.g. metaphorical, personified, ...),
the translation equivalents as such and additional information and descriptions in parantheses.