The database system used in the Finnish Sign Language Dictionary Project

A lexicographic research team started working at the Finnish Association of the Deaf in 1988. Since 1989, one of the researchers from the Research Institute for the Languages of Finland has been working in the team as well. The team’s first project (1988–1998) was to produce a new Finnish Sign Language-Finnish dictionary. In this paper I will briefly explain the procedure followed within this project, and then describe the Word Perfect database we used to gather together the material we produced. I will describe the overall structure of the database system, the types of information registered, transcription methods used and the compatibility with other databases. As an illustration of the contents of the database I will provide a sample record of a sign entry as it appears in the book. When the dictionary was finished, the research team started working on new lexicographic projects and moved on to use a new database program, FileMaker Pro. To conclude this paper I will briefly introduce the new projects, discuss the reasons for choosing the FileMaker program, and describe how our research work has benefited from the new databases.