Lexicon
Learn about the structure of dictionaries in the Sefaria Library
In Sefaria's parlance, a Lexicon is a dictionary or reference work. Lexicons are composed of a Lexicon object representing the entire reference work and LexiconEntry objects for each specific entry in the larger work.
Some Lexicons also have WordForm objects for each written expression of a word in the lexicon. WordFormobjects represent various conjugations of words that appear in the texts in the Sefaria Library, and attempt to link them to the relevant headword.
If the Lexicon is viewed as an independent text, it also needs an Index record. This Index will have special fields. It may also have a Version record for any additional textual content which is not a dictionary entry (e.g., introductory text to the Lexicon).
To see documentation on our lexicon APIs, visit this link
Understanding the Lexicon Object Model
Lexicon
If the Lexicon has an associated Index, the Lexicon.index_title must match the title of the Index object. In addition, lexiconName must match the name of the Lexicon object on the Index. If the Lexicon in question has a Version associated with it, the title of the version should be placed in the version_titleattribute, and the language of the version should be noted in theversion_lang attribute of the Lexicon.
Please note the following fields:
nameis the key field for the Lexiconattribution,sourceandsource_urlare descriptivelanguageto_languagetext_categories
See the following example of a Lexicon object in our database for clarification:
{
"text_categories" : [],
"attribution" : "Rabbi Marcus Jastrow",
"name" : "Jastrow Dictionary",
"language" : "heb.talmudic",
"version_lang" : "en",
"to_language" : "eng",
"index_title" : "Jastrow",
"source" : "Jastrow Dictionary",
"version_title" : "London, Luzac, 1903",
"should_autocomplete" : true
}Lexicon Entry
As noted above, every Lexicon object is comprised of LexiconEntry objects, which represent the words in that Lexicon.
Please note the following requirements and characteristics of a Lexicon Entry:
- The
parent_lexiconmust matchLexicon.name - The
headword, taken together withparent_lexicon, is the key for the Lexicon entry. Theheadwordmust be unique to the Lexicon in question. prev_hwindicates the headword for the entry directly before the one you are referencing. This is required when the Lexicon is presented as a text with anIndex.next_hwindicates the headword for the entry directly before the one you are referencing. This is required when the Lexicon is presented as a text with anIndex.ridis a unique ID that is used for lexical sorting. When presented in order, the rid should appear in order.ridvalues should begin with a letter in order to ensure lexical sorting instead of numerical sorting.
See the following example for a clarification of how a Lexicon Entry may appear:
{
"headword" : "אִיזְמֵיל",
"parent_lexicon" : "Jastrow Dictionary",
"rid" : "A01200",
"language_code" : " h. a. ch.",
"refs" : [
"Chullin 31a:11",
"Shemot Rabbah 26"
],
"content" : {
"senses" : [
{
"definition" : " (זמל √<span dir=\"rtl\">מל</span>; cmp. b. h. <span dir=\"rtl\">סמל</span>; cmp. <a dir=\"rtl\" class=\"refLink\" href=\"/Jastrow,_*אִיזְגָּרָא.1\" data-ref=\"Jastrow, *אִיזְגָּרָא 1\">אִיזְגָּרָא</a>) <i>cutting tool, knife</i>, esp. <i>surgeon’s knife</i>. <a class=\"refLink\" href=\"/Aramaic_Targum_to_Job.16.9\" data-ref=\"Aramaic Targum to Job 16:9\">Targ. Job XVI, 9</a>; a. e.—<a class=\"refLink\" href=\"/Chullin.31a.11\" data-ref=\"Chullin 31a:11\">Ḥull. 31ᵃ</a> <span dir=\"rtl\">א׳ שיש לו קרנים</span> a knife which has hornlike projections as ornaments. Y. Sabb. XIX, beg. 16ᵈ <span dir=\"rtl\">אנשון מייתי או׳</span> they had forgotten to bring the knife (for circumcision). <a class=\"refLink\" href=\"/Shemot_Rabbah.26\" data-ref=\"Shemot Rabbah 26\">Ex. R. s. 26</a> man <span dir=\"rtl\">מכה באי׳ וכ׳</span> wounds with a knife (operating) and heals &c. Pl. Chald. <span dir=\"rtl\">אִזְמֵלַיָּיא</span>; <span dir=\"rtl\">אִזְמַלְוָון</span> (f.). <a class=\"refLink\" href=\"/Targum_Jonathan_on_Isaiah.44.13\" data-ref=\"Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 44:13\">Targ. Is. XLIV, 13</a>. <a class=\"refLink\" href=\"/Targum_Jonathan_on_Joshua.5.2\" data-ref=\"Targum Jonathan on Joshua 5:2\">Targ. Josh. V, 2</a>."
}
],
"morphology" : "m."
},
"plural_form" : [
"אִזְמֵלַיָּיא",
"אִזְמַלְוָון"
],
"alt_headwords" : [
"אִיזְמֵל",
"אִזְ׳",
"(אוּזְמֵל)"
],
"quotes" : [
],
"prev_hw" : "אִיזְמָא",
"next_hw" : "איזמר"
}
When a Lexicon is to be presented as a text in itself (with an Index record), the LexiconEntry objects are arranged with pointers to the entries before and after.
WordForm
There can be many WordForm objects that correspond to a single LexiconEntry. There can also be many LexiconEntry objects that correspond to a single WordForm.
For example:
{
"form" : "פתיח",
"lookups" : [
{
"parent_lexicon" : "Klein Dictionary",
"headword" : "פָּתֽיחַ ᴵ"
}
],
"c_form" : "פתיח",
"refs" : [
"Eruvin 24b:4",
"Megillah 26b:13"
],
"generated_by" : "prefix_adder_1"
}Please note: The lookups field represents the list of LexiconEntry objects. There can be many objects in the lookups list.
Refs in WordForm
The refs list is designed to further restrict the correspondence between naturally occurring words in a given text and a LexiconEntry. Though a word may appear identical in various sources in the Sefaria Library, it may have different meanings due to the specific context of the work within which it appears. The refs list associate a given definition for a word with the various instances in which it appears that the word in question has identical meanings.
For example, if a word in biblical Hebrew has a different meaning it does in modern Hebrew works, there will be separate WordForm objects for each definition. The former object will represent the biblical Hebrew word and associating it with refs from the Bible, while the latter will represent the Modern Hebrew word and associate it with refs corresponding to its appearance in modern Hebrew works.
Many-to-Many
When querying for a WordForm for a given string, one may receive many results. This is possible in order to enable maximum flexibility in representing natural language.
Index
When a dictionary is presented as a text, it has a special Index record. This record includes alexiconName element at the root and a DictionaryNode element in the schema. The lexiconName must match the name of the Lexicon object. Conversely, the Lexicon.index_title must match the title of the Index object.
DictionaryNode
A DictionaryNode can be placed anywhere within a complex schema tree. For example:
nodeType: This will beDictionaryNodelexiconNamedefault: If true, entries can be referenced with the dictionary name alone.lastWordfirstWordheadwordMap
Below is the full record for the Jastrow dictionary. Please note the lexiconName and DictionaryNode elements in the schema.
{
"categories" : [
"Reference"
],
"schema" : {
"key" : "Jastrow",
"nodes" : [
{
"lexiconName" : "Jastrow Dictionary",
"default" : true,
"lastWord" : "תתנא",
"firstWord" : "א",
"nodeType" : "DictionaryNode",
"headwordMap" : [
[
"א",
"Jastrow, א"
],
[
"ב",
"Jastrow, ב"
],
[
"ג",
"Jastrow, ג"
],
[
"ד",
"Jastrow, ד"
],
[
"ה",
"Jastrow, ה"
],
[
"ו",
"Jastrow, ו"
],
[
"ז",
"Jastrow, ז"
],
[
"ח",
"Jastrow, ח"
],
[
"ט",
"Jastrow, ט"
],
[
"י",
"Jastrow, י"
],
[
"כ",
"Jastrow, כ"
],
[
"ל",
"Jastrow, ל"
],
[
"מ",
"Jastrow, מ"
],
[
"נ",
"Jastrow, נ"
],
[
"ס",
"Jastrow, ס"
],
[
"ע",
"Jastrow, ע"
],
[
"פ",
"Jastrow, פ"
],
[
"צ",
"Jastrow, צ"
],
[
"ק",
"Jastrow, ק"
],
[
"ר",
"Jastrow, ר"
],
[
"ש",
"Jastrow, שׁ"
],
[
"ת",
"Jastrow, ת"
]
]
},
{
"key" : "Preface",
"addressTypes" : [
"Integer"
],
"sectionNames" : [
"Paragraph"
],
"nodeType" : "JaggedArrayNode",
"depth" : 1,
"titles" : [
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "he",
"text" : "הקדמה"
},
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "en",
"text" : "Preface"
}
]
},
{
"key" : "Hebrew or Aramaic Abbreviations",
"addressTypes" : [
"Integer"
],
"sectionNames" : [
"Line"
],
"nodeType" : "JaggedArrayNode",
"depth" : 1,
"titles" : [
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "he",
"text" : "קיצורים בעברית או בארמית"
},
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "en",
"text" : "Hebrew or Aramaic Abbreviations"
}
]
},
{
"key" : "List of Abbreviations",
"addressTypes" : [
"Integer"
],
"sectionNames" : [
"Line"
],
"nodeType" : "JaggedArrayNode",
"depth" : 1,
"titles" : [
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "he",
"text" : "רשימת קיצורים"
},
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "en",
"text" : "List of Abbreviations"
}
]
}
],
"titles" : [
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "he",
"text" : "מילון יסטרוב"
},
{
"primary" : true,
"lang" : "en",
"text" : "Jastrow"
}
]
},
"enDesc" : "A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature",
"order" : [
],
"is_cited" : false,
"pubPlace" : "New York",
"compPlace" : "Philadelphia",
"lexiconName" : "Jastrow Dictionary",
"pubDate" : "1903",
"title" : "Jastrow",
"era" : "CO",
"errorMargin" : "10",
"authors" : [
"Marcus Jastrow"
],
"compDate" : "1893"
}
Version
This is necessary for any regular (non-definition) text.
Important Notes
- In
sefaria/model/lexicon.py, each dictionary relates to a subclass ofDictionaryEntry. Those correspondences are listed inLexiconEntrySubClassMapping sefaria.jsincludes a line that lists the available dictionaries:Sefaria.virtualBooksDict = [...]- If a lexicon participates in the cross-dictionary auto-completer, it needs to be listed in
library.build_lexicon_auto_completers