Question Have you used an actual Japanese dictionary (国語辞典) to look up words? (Not the JPN-ENG types)

[LTDAN]

I'm not talking about the ones that are "Japanese-English": instead it leans more on the whole dictionary entirely being written& published in Japanese (the index is sorted in Kana alphabetically) such as shinmeikai (新明解), meikyo (明境) or iwanami (岩波) to name a few. Think of it in the same way how Oxford, Collins or Merriam Webster exist, for instance there are differences on how a single word is defined:

• いかん［尉官］：士官の下の位。陸海空軍の将校を、大きく三つに分けた中の最下級のもの。（新明解国語辞典第七版６３ページ）
• いかん［尉官］：旧陸海空軍の大尉・中尉・少尉属し、将官・佐官の下。（明鏡国語辞典第三版７９ページ）

The thing is, why are there different intepretations for the same word?

 

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa LTDAN-san!

Why are there different intepretations for the same word?

1.There is not enough space.

2.If it were the same text, it could be sued.

3.They intentionally write in difficult(and different) sentences to give themselves authority.

4.Actually, they are not familiar with Japanese.

5.Publishers collude to make it so that you can't understand the true meaning unless you buy the all dictionary.

6.There are some deeper reason behind it.

what do you think?

NANGI

 

[johnnyG]

I don't use it, but still have a copy of Nelson's character dictionary.--a memento. Also Heisig's.

 

[mdchachi]

These are from two different dictionaries and they are not even contemporary. One is 10 years older than the other. (If AI search is to be believed.) Even so I don't think these two definitions are incompatible. They both say it was the lowest officer rank.

Lieutenant [尉官]: The rank below officer. The lowest rank among the three main divisions of officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. (Shin Meikai Japanese Dictionary, 7th Edition, p. 63)
Lieutenant [尉官]: Corresponding to the ranks of Captain, Lieutenant, and Second Lieutenant in the former Army, Navy, and Air Force, below General Officers and Senior Officers. (Meikyo Japanese Dictionary, 3rd Edition, p. 79)