Final answer:
In computational natural language analysis, "dictionaries" are data structures that associate words with meanings, definitions, or other relevant information. They play a key role in natural language processing and computational linguistics, helping to systematically understand and interpret human language by computers.
Step-by-step explanation:
In computational natural language analysis of text, "dictionaries" are structured collections of words along with their meanings, definitions, or associated information. These dictionaries are fundamental in various tasks such as spell-checking, word frequency analysis, and particularly in natural language processing (NLP) where they can be used to understand and interpret human language by computers. A dictionary in NLP might be more complex, possibly including metadata about word usage, connotations, synonyms, and antonyms.
Dictionaries also evolve to include new words that emerge and exclude ones that fall out of usage. They maintain the accuracy and coherence of language by providing definitions and histories of words, syllabication, and correct spelling and usage. It is important to note that dictionaries used in computational analysis are not just limited to word definitions, but often contain semantic information that aids in understanding the context and use of words in different scenarios.
In the realm of computational linguistics, dictionaries can refer to any sort of data structure that associates words with their uses, rules, or meanings. This could extend to lexicons, which are more focused on the vocabulary of a language and its correct grammatical application. Furthermore, dictionaries specific to computational use may also contain information relevant to the syntax and semantic nuances within a language, serving as a basis for text analysis software or AI algorithms that process human language.
Biographical dictionaries and glossaries are specialized forms of dictionaries that contain information about people or a collection of terms, and are used in various fields such as literature and history. However, when used in a computational context, dictionaries are more oriented towards supporting language analysis tools and providing systemic understanding of language within a software framework.