What Is It? The Emotional Dictionary is an enhanced
dictionary that provides both "normal" (intellectual or objective) dictionary
definitions and the emotional, or connotative, "definitions"
for each word or phrase. These connotative meanings show how society at large feels about
each word and phrase.
How Would I Use It? Most people look up words in an ordinary
dictionary because they are unsure of one or more literal meanings. You would use an Emotional
Dictionary for the same reason, but you would also be able to find out how the rest
of society feels emotionally about any given word or phrase. Often, the way society feels
is quite different from the way you personally
feel. Each Emotional Dictionary is
society-specific. For example, British connotations differ markedly from American
connotations for many words, even though their literal definitions are exactly the same.
In this sense, language is the DNA of culture.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND IMAGES
"Connotationary" is one name
we've coined to differentiate a Connotative or Emotional Dictionary from
an ordinary denotative dictionary. Language reference companies will likely find their own
labels for this product.
An Emotional Dictionary will
provide both kinds of meaning. For example, a regular dictionary gives the following
denotative meaning for the word pub:
"a building providing
alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises." (Oxford Dictionary)
However, the word pub
simultaneously evokes a host of emotional connotations, such as merriment, pleasure,
cheerfulness, perhaps some sadness, and so on.
An Emotional Dictionary functions
like a standard dictionary, except that it provides both dictionary definitions and
connotations in the form of colorful graphical displays that identify specific emotions,
power, activity, and the intensity of each connotation.
The illustration below is a preliminary
design for a software version of the Emotional Dictionary. (Print versions will
look substantially different.) In this screen shot, the dictionary meaning of the word
"bullfight" is shown on the left-hand side of the screen. It answers the
question all dictionaries answer, "How does society interpret the objective meaning
of this word?"
The right-hand side of this screen shot is
the connotative side. It answers the question, "How does society feel about
this word or phrase?" The lengths of the green and red bars show intensity levels of
various emotions, such as Excitement, Anguish, Anxiety, Disgust, etc.
This example is specific to North American
culture. Someone coming from Spain or Mexico or South America would likely be quite amazed
at the nature and intensity of the negative feelings North Americans have towards
This raises the point that all connotative
language products will be culture-specific. People will actually be able to compare
the emotions of one culture with the emotions of another culture concerning exactly the
same objects, people, places, institutions, concepts, and so on.
For example, a Spanish version of the Emotional
Dictionary will have its own connotative profile for the word "bullfight,"
which will undoubtedly be quite different from the one shown above. Moreover, any user
will be able to look up any word or phrase and compare his or her own personal
feelings with the feelings of the surrounding society, as expressed through the
Connotationary (Emotional Dictionary).
The Emotional Dictionary will
have the same look and feel of an ordinary dictionary in either print or software form.
However, the Emotional Dictionary will provide the user with both denotative and
connotative meanings of all the words and phrases in the language.
Who will use an Emotional Dictionary,
and why? For starters, students. As young people move from grade to grade, they are
constantly learning new words, discovering the power and beauty of language, and
experimenting with oral and written expression. The Emotional Dictionary, with
its emotional profiles of every word, will provide an ideal language laboratory and
playground for students, in addition to providing vital information about word meanings.
The Emotional Dictionary also has
obvious ESL applications. English as a Second Language is generally fraught with
connotative perils. So, having emotional or connotative meaning available in connotative
language products will be especially useful in alerting users to words and phrases that
are sensitive or controversial in the context of a society composed of many groups, each
having different ethnic, religious, political, and racial origins
Other users will be people who use Emotional
Dictionaries for the same reasons they now use dictionaries: to maintain and improve
their language skills. This is becoming more and more important
in online communication—e-mail,
blogs, and content for websites.
Most words have several different
denotative (dictionary) meanings, or contexts. The Emotional Dictionary will show
a different pattern of emotional meaning for each separate context. Here are a few
examples. Each example shows the emotional meanings and intensities for two of the several
different denotative contexts.
Finally, here are a few examples comparing
phrases, idioms, and terms from popular culture.
The Emotional Dictionary will be
an invaluable resource for anyone who wishes to compare his or her own personal emotional
attitudes towards any concept, object, person, place, action, etc., with the attitudes of
the surrounding society, or, if using a foreign Emotional Dictionary, with the
attitudes of that foreign society.