System for and method of summarizing etymological information

• US 6,256,605 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alan S. Macmillan
• Original Assignee: Alan S. Macmillan
• Inventors: MacMillan, Alan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US09/435,585
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/9, 704/10, 707/3.4, 707/5, 707/7, 707/104, 707/530, 707/531, 707/532, 707/536, 434/156, 434/157, 434/167, 434/169
• US Class Current: 704/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/247 Thesauruses; Synonyms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A computer implemented system for and computer implemented method of summarizing English language etymological information. For each analyzed word, only the primary language or languages of origin are specified. Furthermore, this information is provided in a single line of text. Thus the main objective of this method is to make the major features of the etymology immediately apparent in a single line of text. This method can be implemented on a Personal Computer using word processing software to write a Language Database and Search Macros so the user may easily query the database for words and obtain a printout. A user may type in a single word, multiple words, or an entire paragraph and receive a printout listing an etymological analysis of each word, one analyzed word per line. Secondly, a user may access a Thesaurus with Etymology Database, type in a single word, for example, a medical term, and receive a printout of related medical terms, each etymologically summarized on one line of text. Thirdly, a user may request a listing of English words from any given foreign language; again the printout shows one analyzed word per line. In another embodiment, this method can be implemented as an interactive web site on the Internet. A visitor to the web site can perform the same three searches just described above. This method of summarizing etymological information is not meant to substitute for the traditional dictionary approach but rather to be a useful alternative.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system for summarizing etymological information comprising:

(a) a dictionary and thesaurus database of etymological information consisting of, for each analyzed word, only the primary language or languages of origin on only one line of text;

(b) interactive search software which gives the user the means to search the database;

(c) means for requesting the analysis of at least one word and for obtaining a listing of said at least one word etymologically analyzed in the form of one analyzed word per line of printout;

(d) means for inputting a single word and for obtaining from said thesaurus database a listing of related words each etymologically analyzed in the form of one analyzed word per line of printout; and

(e) means for requesting and obtaining a list of English words originating from any particular foreign language.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is embodied on a personal computer written in word processing software and stored on computer memory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is embodied as an interactive web site on the Internet.

4. A computer implemented method of summarizing etymological information comprising:

(a) generating a dictionary and thesaurus database of etymological information consisting of, for each analyzed word, only the primary language or languages of origin on only one line of text;

(b) providing interactive search software which gives the user the means to search the database;

(c) requesting the analysis of at least one word and for obtaining a listing of said at least one word etymologically analyzed in the form of one analyzed word per line of printout;

(d) inputting a single word and for obtaining from said thesaurus database a listing of related words each etymologically analyzed in the form of one analyzed word per line of printout; and

(e) requesting and obtaining a list of English words originating from any particular foreign language.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method is implemented on a personal computer written in word processing software and stored on computer memory.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the method is implemented as an interactive web site on the Internet.