Towards a Dedicated Database Management System for Dictionaries

This paper argues that a lexical database should be implemented with a special kind of database management system (DBMS) and outlines the design of such a system. The major difference between this proposal and a general purpose DBMS is that its data definition language (DDL) allows the specification of the entire morphology, which turns the lexical database from a mere collection of 'static data into a real-time word-analyser. Moreover, the dedication of the system conduces to the feasibility of user interfaces with very comfortable monitor-and manipulation functions.