Using the "show preview" button before "save page" will save the system lots of edits to log. Here is our standard welcome. SemperBlotto 10:31, 31 August 2008 (UTC)Reply

Welcome edit

Hello, welcome to Wiktionary, and thank you for your contributions so far.

If you are unfamiliar with wiki-editing, take a look at Help:How to edit a page. It is a concise list of technical guidelines to the wiki format we use here: how to, for example, make text boldfaced or create hyperlinks. Feel free to practice in the sandbox. If you would like a slower introduction we have a short tutorial.

These links may help you familiarize yourself with Wiktionary:

  • Entry layout (EL) is a detailed policy on Wiktionary's page formatting; all entries must conform to it. The easiest way to start off is to copy the contents of an existing same-language entry, and then adapt it to fit the entry you are creating.
  • Check out Language considerations to find out more about how to edit for a particular language.
  • Our Criteria for Inclusion (CFI) defines exactly which words can be added to Wiktionary; the most important part is that Wiktionary only accepts words that have been in somewhat widespread use over the course of at least a year, and citations that demonstrate usage can be asked for when there is doubt.
  • If you already have some experience with editing our sister project Wikipedia, then you may find our guide for Wikipedia users useful.
  • If you have any questions, bring them to Wiktionary:Information desk or ask me on my talk page.
  • Whenever commenting on any discussion page, please sign your posts with four tildes (~~~~) which automatically produces your username and timestamp.
  • You are encouraged to add a BabelBox to your userpage to indicate your self-assessed knowledge of languages.

Enjoy your stay at Wiktionary!

Concise edit

The assumption on your part appears to be a desirable characteristic of definitions is simplicity OR a desirable characteristic is complexity, reducing the options to this false dichotomy.

A definition which uses no unnecessary words is, in one view, simple. The words used may not be the most common, or the most widely understood, yet they fully express the meanings and implications of the term or phrase defined.

A definition which uses common and widely understood words yet complex phrasing and punctuation is, still, simple in one view. So long as it expresses all the relevant meaning and nuance it is nearly as desirable as a concise one, though writing a complete word sense with common terms which is also structurally simple would be even better.

Simple and simplistic mean the same, with the latter also implying - pejoratively - 'simpler than is best'. One of those shades of meaning which might be difficult to express in the simplest of terms. - Amgine/talk 05:03, 20 July 2009 (UTC)Reply

trench edit

Hello Gregcaletta -- Right you are about this. I'm glad one of us is awake. Thanks. -- WikiPedant 04:39, 28 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

you added conciousness of conciousness!

http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/awa_instructions.aspx

also you quoted Eckhart Tolle.

Babel edit

Would you add a Babel template to your user page? See {{Babel}}. --Dan Polansky 21:28, 22 April 2010 (UTC)Reply

Done. Gregcaletta 00:41, 24 April 2010 (UTC)Reply

helluo edit

I find no evidence that this word meant "addict". --EncycloPetey 02:59, 6 September 2011 (UTC)Reply

OK. The word "glutton" is fairly archaic, so we need a more modern equivalent. For example, "helluo librorum" has traditionally been translated as "book glutton", but that sounds archaic now, so a better translation would be "book addict". Also "glutton" refers mainly to food, and the term "helluo librorum" shows that "helluo" refers to consuming or using other things too. The etymology for glutton implies that the term in Latin for "glutton" when referring specifically to food was gluto, glutonis. "Addict" is not perfect, so if you can find a better one that would be great. Can you find evidence that it means "squanderer"? I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean that. To "squander" is to waste, often by not consuming, rather than to consume. Thanks. Gregcaletta 11:50, 6 September 2011 (UTC)Reply

glutton edit

English definition lines are expected to begin with a capital letter. Separate meanings should be kept on separate lines. --EncycloPetey 02:59, 6 September 2011 (UTC)Reply

Can you show me where the policy is on the capital letters? It looks silly. Capitals and full stops are to mark the beginning and ending of full sentences, so makes so sense in a definition. The separate meanings on separate lines thing I get. Gregcaletta 11:45, 6 September 2011 (UTC)Reply
Wiktionary:Entry layout explained is generally considered a policy document. It reads, in part:
Each definition may be treated as a sentence: beginning with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.
Note the "may" (not "must"). However, it is definitely the accepted practice here that all definitions do start with a capital letter. (Periods (full stops) at the end are, so far, a subject of personal preference, though at some point IMO we should pin that down one way or the other.) The exception is such definitions as are simply a list of translations into English (for foreign words) or (for English words) are a list of synonyms. (The latter type of definition is no good generally, but occasionally is the best way to define something.) That type of definition doesn't get sentence-capitalization, or at least most people don't capitalize them.​—msh210 (talk) 14:26, 6 September 2011 (UTC)Reply
Is there any way to get that practise changed so that it becomes standard to have no capital letter and no full stop? It looks better to me. I might be in the the minority there, but I'd be happy if the suggestion for a policy change is at least considered. Gregcaletta 00:11, 7 September 2011 (UTC)Reply

Downcasing definitions edit

I ask you to stop downcasing definitions. There is no community consensus in favor of lowercase definitions. Reference: diff. --Dan Polansky (talk) 19:58, 16 February 2013 (UTC)Reply

Using preview function and reducing number of subsequent edits edit

Can you reduce the number of subsequent edits to one entry, with the help of preview function? In employ, you have made 9 edits within 11 minutes. --Dan Polansky (talk) 20:02, 16 February 2013 (UTC)Reply