Georgia Today

Story by Victoria Todria

30.04.2010

The Lexicographic Center of Tbilisi State University held a presentation of the new Big English-Georgian Online Dictionary at the TBC Bank gallery.

A new English-Georgian Military Dictionary and its online version were presented as well. Tbilisi State University has been working on the dictionaries for almost fifty years. Since 1995 13 books have been published, each book covering one letter. The online version of these editions was launched on February 5, 2010 and has visitors from over 50 countries.

www.dictionary.ge officially offers 100, 000 words and letters that have not yet been issued as printed dictionaries.

The dictionary offers a wide variety of terms and explanations for a wide range of users. It covers medical, technical, historical and scientific fields.

Tinatin Margalitadze, chief editor of the dictionary and professor of linguistics at the Institute of European Languages and Literature at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University said: “The editorial team has worked according to strict lexicographic principles, elaborated in the 1980s. We will never stop working on this project because the English language is constantly evolving and advancing.”

The dictionary is updated every day. For three months the website has enjoyed visitors from all over the world.

Over the past six months the number of internet consumers in Georgia has grown by 17 percent, the minister of education and science of Georgia said.

“This dictionary will aid not only Georgians residing in Georgia, but also those who live outside the country. As internet becomes more popular in terms of information source and English language is playing a key role, we have decided to teach English as foreign language in public schools starting from first grade,” Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Dimitri Shashkin said.

A number of projects planned by the Lexicographic Center include the new English-Georgian Educational dictionary and its online version planned for 2011. Also, the Tbilisi State University is now offering for the first time a master’s program in Language and Lexicography.

While addressing the audience at the presentation, the rector of Tbilisi State University, George Khubua called the project an astonishing cultural event that will further contribute to the integration of Georgia in the modern world.

“This project will elevate the Georgian Lexicography to the higher level and facilitate the appearance of dictionaries in other languages as well,” the rector said.

The Lexicographic Center of Tbilisi State University is one of the organizers of the first international symposium in lexicography to be held on May 14-16 in Batumi.