Creating Word Lists
The Wordlist Maker
You can access the Word List screen through the ‘Tools’ option in the menu bar OR the Main Menu.
The Different Types of Word Lists
You can use this screen to create resources 1-5 on the following pages:
- Basic word list
- Detailed word list
- Word list filtered by category and sub-category
- Table Format
- Specific information from your databases such as sources
1. Basic Word list (Awabakal to English)
Basic word lists are used when servicing requests for community and schools. This list allows the words needed to be found simply and quickly.
Exporting your language documentation into a simple word list like this can help with linguistic analysis too. When we started analysing and learning about our language Awabakal we started to notice some of the patterns in words. For example, many words ended in –ba and we later learnt that this was a locative suffix (to denote location). Exporting this list enabled us to make those findings, document them and extend our knowledge further.
2. Detailed Word List
A detailed word list helps us further with research and information hand-out capabilities.
3. A Word List Filtered By Sub-Category (Such As Wildlife > Fish)
Word lists filtered by sub-categories are used when words about a specific theme are needed, for example for a body or animal chart. It also makes researching a particular area of language and culture quicker and easier.
4. Table Format
Being able to export your main fields into a table format can be very useful throughout your language documentation in Miromaa.
Miromaa Users have found this helpful when managing, organising and analysing their entries in Miromaa. It can be quicker and easier to view your language in this format in some instances, particularly if you are checking your work.
5. Specific Information From Your Database Such As Sources
This can be useful again when you are cross checking your language documentation and sources collection in Miromaa.
Having a full bibliographical list can be helpful when you are looking for language sources in a library for example, you can print the list off and take it with you.
Controlling Which Words Appear In Your Word Lists
The Filters Panels in the Word List Maker work with the Controls Panel in the Editor screen to control which words appear (and which don’t) in your word lists. The filters you select in the Word List Maker must match with the settings you have selected for each word in the Control Panel of the Editor for the word to appear in a list.
This sounds complicated but it’s actually really simple, for example in the Word List Maker the ‘Main’ field is set to ‘Yes’ by default. If you have not been ticking your words as ‘Main’ in the Control Panel the words will not show up. You have 2 choices to make your words show up:
- You can go back to the words’ entry in the Editor and tick them as main
- You can change the filter in the ‘Main’ field in the Word List Maker from ‘Yes’ to ‘Either’
When creating word lists you can select whether or not to include words based on several different classifications. This includes the following which are set in the Control Panel:
In the process of learning we have all made a few mistakes including a confusing, blank word list or 2 or 3. It’s no problem and it’s always something simple (though not always obvious when learning). Check back over your settings in the Filters and the Control Panel. If you can’t work it out contact us! We are here to help!!
How To Create A Word List
- Access the Word List Maker through the ‘Tools’ option in the Main Menu bar OR the Main Menu
Miromaa will open the Word List Maker.
- Select which filters you would like to apply. For this example we will make a word list about marine mammals, ordered from English to Awabakal. For this we will:
a. Select the word category e.g. ‘Wildlife’. If you don’t want to select by category leave this field as ‘All’ and move on to step 3 further down...
b. Select the sub-category e.g. ‘Marine Mammals’
c. Click to select whether you would like your list ordered by your language or your translation language.
Miromaa will open your finder window.
- Navigate to your ‘Exports’ folder or wherever you would like to save your word list.
Miromaa will automatically suggest a file name for your word list comprised of:
Miromaa+’the language order of your list+for ‘your language’+by ‘your username’+on ‘the day’s date’at ‘the day’s time’.
So our example word list title is:
‘Miromaa Australian English to Awabakal for Awabakal by Daryn on 11-04-2016 at 10-45 aM’
You can chose to keep this title or change it by typing in the ‘File Name’ field.
- Click ‘Save’
Miromaa will save your word list into your folder of choice.
If you review the list and wish to change it you can easily and quickly repeat steps 2-4 to create another list.
Congratulations you have created your own word lists!