Portuguese Year 4: Encyclopedia article, dictionary entry and notice
Portuguese, Year 4 (Portugal): Recognise three texts made to look things up and to warn: how each one is organised and what it is for.
Three texts, three questions
An encyclopedia article informs about a subject: it has a title, a text in parts and often pictures with captions, and it states facts without opinions. A dictionary entry explains a word: the headword, the word class (n. m., n. f., adj., v.), numbered meanings and sometimes an example; entries follow alphabetical order. A notice (aviso) is short and clear, with big letters or a symbol, and says what to do or not to do in a place.
Each one answers a different question
The encyclopedia answers “what is known about this?”. The dictionary answers “what does this word mean?”. The notice answers “what should I, or should I not, do here?”. If you know how each one is organised, you find the answer fast: you look up the word in alphabetical order, the right subheading, or the symbol on the notice. That way you read only what you need.
Three short texts
Step 1: «ATENÇÃO! Piso molhado.» (“Careful! Wet floor.”) is a notice: short, big letters; purpose: to avoid falls. Step 2: «rato n. m. 1. Animal pequeno, de cauda comprida. 2. Aparelho que move a seta no ecrã.» (mouse, masc. noun: 1. small animal with a long tail. 2. device that moves the arrow on the screen) is a dictionary entry: headword, word class, numbered meanings. Step 3: «Girafa. Mamífero africano, o animal terrestre mais alto.» (“Giraffe. African mammal, the tallest land animal.”) is an encyclopedia article: title and facts.
The first meaning does not always fit
Many people read only the first meaning of an entry and stop there. But a word can have several, and only one fits the text. In «Clica com o rato no botão» (“Click the button with the mouse”), the meaning is number 2, not the animal in number 1. Read all the meanings and choose the one that makes sense in the sentence. Also remember: the dictionary explains the word; the encyclopedia article explains the thing.
Research, new words and signs
You use the encyclopedia article for a research project, on paper or online. You use the dictionary when you meet a word you do not know or want to check how it is spelt. And you read notices every day: at school, at the swimming pool, on the road, in a lift. Knowing what each one is for helps you choose the right text and read only what matters.
Test what you learned
Which text answers the question “What should I, or should I not, do in this place?”
- a) An encyclopedia article
- b) A dictionary entry
- c) A notice
Correct answer: c) A notice — Yes: a notice is short and clear, and it says what to do or not to do in a place.
You need to find out what «solitário» means and to learn more about giraffes. Which text do you use for each?
- a) Dictionary for «solitário», encyclopedia for giraffes
- b) Encyclopedia for «solitário», dictionary for giraffes
- c) A notice for both
- d) Dictionary for both
Correct answer: a) Dictionary for «solitário», encyclopedia for giraffes — Yes: a word is looked up in the dictionary, and a subject such as giraffes in the encyclopedia.
The dictionary says: «rato n. m. 1. animal pequeno de cauda comprida; 2. aparelho do computador que move a seta». (mouse: 1. small animal with a long tail; 2. computer device that moves the arrow.) You read «O Rui clica com o rato no botão.» Which meaning do you choose?
- a) Meaning 1, because it comes first
- b) Meaning 2, because it is the one that makes sense in the sentence
- c) Both at the same time
- d) None: I have to look in another dictionary
Correct answer: b) Meaning 2, because it is the one that makes sense in the sentence — Yes: one clicks a button with the device, not the animal. The context decides.
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