Extending the functions of the EELex dictionary writing system using the example of the Basic Estonian Dictionary

This paper introduces new functions of the EELex dictionary writing system, developed at the Institute of the Estonian Language. Recently the EELex system has gained many new functions and query possibilities: scheme editor; article preview generator; bulk corrections; testing cross-references; generating Estonian morphological information; displaying the complete data or only chosen types of data; adding image, video and audio files; exporting dictionary data to Word format. By the example of the corpus-based active Basic Estonian Dictionary we describe the implementation of new EELex features for compiling, editing and presenting dictionary data. The dictionary is being compiled for Estonian language learners at the beginner and lower-intermediate levels and will be published in 2013 in both paper and electronic versions. In addition, the Estonian module of the corpus query system Sketch Engine (Kilgarriff et al., 2004) for the extraction and presentation of government and collocation patterns will be illustrated.