Jargon of the social dictionaries

This article was written by 矢立美月 @ pixiv

Jargon of these dictionaries

Some words used in daily life are stereotyped on dictionary-based social networks and a jargon series of these words is formed.

Başlık (Title): Directories opened separately for each subject.

Entry: Comments shared under titles.

Girdi/Giri: The Turkish translation of “entry”. Used on some dictionaries.

Ukte: Authors’ request for another author to open the related title when they’re curious about a subject but they couldn’t find what is it. (In fact, ukte’s correct notation is “ukde”, which means some words such as “worry”. In Turkish language, a lot of people use some sentences such as “Eğer onu görmeseydim içimde ukde kalırdı.”, can be translated as “I would be worried if I didn’t see it.” but literally “A worry would remain inside me if I didn’t see it.”.)

Format: A term that includes all the rules of a dictionary.

Çaylak (Rookie): Degree given to new members on dictionaries which have format. Members who are rookies and act in accordance with the format during the period are deserved to be “author”. Entries released by the rookies are only visible to the management (On some dictionaries, authors can see too.). There is no rookie degree on dictionaries haven’t format.

Yazar (Author): Degree given to users who complete the rookie period. Everyone can see the author’s entries.

Administrator (or shortly “admin”): Top managers of the dictionary. Usually, the administrators are the founders of the dictionaries.

Praetor: Degree/nickname given to legal advisors of the dictionaries. Usually consists of legal professionals and/or legal students.

Moderator (or shortly “mod”): Staff authorized to supervising members and deleting entries that do not match the format.

Gammaz (can be translated as “spy” or “squealler”): The team that has the authority to report only entries that are against the format or the law to the moderators.

Modlog (moderator + log): The area where the last administrative changes made by the dictionary staff are listed.

Şükela/Şuku: Name of the button to positively vote for entries. The old known name of this button was “takdir etme butonu (appreciation button)” (The word “Şükela” has no equivalent in any language. This word emerged in the early 2000s on Ekşi Sözlük and started to be used in many platforms in the time. “Şuku” is another variant of this word used on some dictionaries.)

Öeehh: Name of the button to indicate that entry’s content is unsatisfactory. (“Öeehh” is literally a noise that some people make when they heard a ridiculous stuff they wouldn’t believe.)

Çok kötü (Very bad): Name of the button negatively vote for entries.

Spoiler: Option used to hide some of the information written in any entry.

Kenar (“side” but literally “edge”): The area to privately save the written entries instead of being released. Members usually use this area to save entries what will be edited and then released. (kenarda dursun = let it stay on the sidelines)

Badi (Turkish pronounciation for “buddy”): Any friend acquired in a dictionary.

Çöp (Trash): Recycle area exist in any account where deleted entries from are sent, exist in any account privately.

Olay (Event): The area where the announcements published by the management are listed.

Hakkında (About): The area where information about a dictionary is included and management members are listed.

Hayvan ara (can be translated as “Search like an animal” but literally “Search animal”): A feature that makes a title be easily searched according to criterias such as keywords, date created, any member who contributed it.

Tanım (Definition): Entry of the member who created any title. The first entry of a title must contain a definition.

Sub-etha: The page where the by-products of the dictionary are listed. These tools are usually prepared by dictionary users and they can be found on a different website because of they are semi-independent. Some are created just for fun, but some are created because of some features which are needed by some members but don’t exist inside dictionaries due to they can disrupt the structure. This list can be seen only by members, but Internet users can access networks by searching on the search engines. (“Sub-etha” actually takes its name from “Sub-etha Network” in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.)

Sub-etha list of Ekşi Sözlük, captured on April 21, 2020.

Frame: Name of any section in various sections of a dictionary page.

Types of dictionaries

By emerging of the clones, social dictionaries divided into types.

General dictionaries: Dictionaries that any content can be shared on any subject. Most commons are Ekşi Sözlük, Sözaltı Sözlük, Nedir.net, Otaku Türk etc.

Thematical dictionaries: Dictionaries based on a certain theme, such as Galatasaray Sözlük (on a sports team).

School-depending dictionaries: Dictionaries established within any educational institution, such as İnstela (former name: “İTÜ Sözlük”, by Istanbul Technical University) and Uludağ Sözlük (by Uludağ University)

FOOTNOTE: The screenshots from Ekşi Sözlük’s current web page were taken when the night mode theme was activated. This mode can be activated only by Ekşi’s members.