Multilingual definitions in Google/Mehrsprachige Definitionen in Google

Blogos reports (from Danny Sullivan) that Google’s definition search is now multilingual.

To quote the Google Blog:

bq. What’s an “iwi”? What does “spiel” mean? Google Definitions is one example of how we work to make the world’s information more accessible: ask us what a word means, and we’ll try our best to get a good variety of definitions from all corners of the Web. So I’m happy to say that a handy feature just got handier; as of this week, Google Definitions is multilingual, and is indexing more sources than ever.

OK, so I entered in Google:

define: “common law”

(maybe the colon isn’t necessary). And what do I get – a German definition although my Google isn’t set to German. I hate this automatic definition of where I am. Anyway, I can then choose Englisch or Französisch or alle Sprachen.

You have to be cleverer than I am and read Google though:

bq. To see a definition for a word or phrase, simply type the word “define,” then a space, and then the word(s) you want defined. If Google has seen a definition for the word or phrase on the Web, it will retrieve that information and display it at the top of your search results.

You can also get a list of definitions by including the special operator “define:” with no space between it and the term you want defined. For example, the search [define:World Wide Web] will show you a list of definitions for “World Wide Web” gathered from various online sources.

(An important thing to note is that the definitions search is automatic. Many references to a term that will not come up as definitions do actually contain definitions, however phrased, and many don’t.)

Try these two to see how it works:

define:Bratwurst
define Bratwurst

For results, read on:1. define:Bratwurst

Definitionen von Bratwurst im Web in alle Sprachen:

Deutsch

* Die Bratwurst ist eine meist aus Schweinefleisch hergestellte und im Naturdarm abgefüllte Wurst, die in der Pfanne oder auf dem Grill gebraten wird. Die Bezeichnung “Bratwurst” leitet sich dabei nicht – wie viele Sprecher des Deutschen glauben – vom Braten in einer Pfanne oder über einem Rost ab, sondern von der Herstellungsart der Wurst: Brät ist klein gehacktes Fleisch (von althochdeutsch brato für ‘schieres Fleisch’, ‘Weichteile’), vergleiche auch Wildbret (3). Regional (zum Beispiel
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratwurst

Englisch

* A German sausage made of pork and veal and seasoned with ginger, nutmeg, and coriander or caraway. Each German district has its own special variety of this sausage. Also called “brotwurst.”
www.nutribase.com/fishmeat.shtml

* a small pork sausage
www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

* A bratwurst is a fried sausage. Etymology: German, from Old High German brAtwurst, from brAt meat without waste + wurst sausage. Popular etymology suggests “fried sausage”; this, however, is incorrect. The word bratwurst can refer to a sausage that is as yet uncooked (but meant to be cooked before eating), or already cooked by any means regardless of the word’s origins. The word usually refers to a mostly pork product, but can be used to refer to an all beef product.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratwurst

Italienisch

* salsiccia affumicata con zenzero preparata in Germania
www.ethnofood.net/glossarioalbis.htm

2. define Bratwurst (if a definition is found, it will be put at the top, but thereafter the normal Google search takes over)

Definitionen von Bratwurst im Web
Die Bratwurst ist eine meist aus Schweinefleisch hergestellte und im Naturdarm abgefüllte Wurst, die in der Pfanne oder auf dem Grill gebraten wird. Die Bezeichnung “Bratwurst” leitet sich dabei nicht – wie viele Sprecher des Deutschen glauben – vom Braten in einer Pfanne oder über einem Rost ab, sondern von der Herstellungsart der Wurst: Brät ist klein gehacktes Fleisch (von althochdeutsch brato für ‘schieres Fleisch’, ‘Weichteile’), vergleiche auch Wildbret (3). Regional (zum Beispiel
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratwurst – Definition im Kontext

Blog for Iowa :: Ira Lacher: The Call of the Bratwurst – [ Diese Seite übersetzen ]
… grumbling feeling in your stomach, like when the bratwurst with onions, …
he would soon start an aggressive campaign to define himself as a centrist, …
www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2004/4/17/35303.html – 49k – Im Cache – Ähnliche Seiten

Flak Magazine: For Better or Bratwurst: Burnt Underbelly, 09.23.03 – [ Diese Seite übersetzen ]
Flak Magazine looks at vice and virtues of bratwurst. … It, along with beer,
corn on the cob and slices of cheddar, define what it is to be a Wisconsinite …
flakmag.com/features/brats/burnt.html – 19k – Im Cache – Ähnliche Seiten

Flak Magazine: For Better or Bratwurst: Missed Notes, 09.23.03 – [ Diese Seite übersetzen ]
Flak Magazine looks at vice and virtues of bratwurst. … of the movie his guest
is in, or he’ll ask someone in the audience to define what exactly lace is. …
flakmag.com/features/brats/missed.html – 22k – Im Cache – Ähnliche Seiten

Mickey-Lu Bar-BQ – Best Hamburgers in the World! – [ Diese Seite übersetzen ]
… Define “best hamburgers” will you? My definition of a great hamburger is one
that is … Oh, yes, did I mention they also have the best Bratwurst too? …
www.jldr.com/micklu.html – 21k – Im Cache – Ähnliche Seiten

5 thoughts on “Multilingual definitions in Google/Mehrsprachige Definitionen in Google

  1. What was interesting to me was the etymology of Bratwurst. I thought the brat- was related to braten, to fry / roast. But it means the meat chopped up and with bones and sinews removed. I know that word, Brät – you sometimes see it at the butcher’s, although it’s not the standard minced meat. But I hadn’t realized the connection with Bratwurst.

  2. Thanks very much, Aidan. That sounds worth trying. I do use site:uk searches on language, but it irritates me constantly seeing German ads. I see enough of those and it would make more sense for me to see the local environment.
    I just entered “potatoes” in my normal Google (I obviously have a food fixation). The second and seventh hits were German, and though the ads were confused, they gave me in the margin “Potatoes – Riesenauswahl zu Top-Angeboten” and “Potatoes – eBay.de”. With http://www.google.ca, I got no German at all, and the margin ad was “Learn to grow potatoes – Gardening Club Free Trial Offer.
    Enjoy Members-Only Benefits Free!
    GardeningClub.com”

    Wonderful. So the generic Google adapts itself to your location but the local ones don’t.

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