A Sense of Belonging: Possessives in Dictionary Definitions

This paper explores the use of possessives within dictionary definitions, based on a computational analysis of the full sentence definitions of the Collins Cobuild range. The Cobuild approach to definitions is compared to that of other more conventional dictionaries, and their use in the definitions is considered in the light of Sinclair’s classification of adjective functions into ‘selective’ and ‘focussing’. The realization of these and other functions is explored through an examination of the headwords involved. Finally, the implications of the findings for users of dictionaries are assessed.