DDSA Steingass Dictionary 3.0

The Steingass Persian-English dictionary app is an impressive digital tool developed by the Digital South Asia Library program at the University of Chicago. This application provides a searchable format of Francis J. Steingass's seminal work, "A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary, including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in Persian literature," published in 1892.

This app is versatile, offering both online and offline functionalities. The online version connects to a remote database hosted on a University of Chicago server, while the offline mode creates a local database upon initial download, allowing for accessibility without an internet connection.

Upon launch, the app defaults to online mode, where users can perform both headword and fulltext searches. The headword search function is initiated by touching the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen, revealing an on-screen keyboard. Users can input headwords in Perso-Arabic script, accented Latin characters, or unaccented Latin characters, enabling rich search capabilities. For instance, searching for کلا, kalām, or kalam all lead to a definition for "A word, speech, oration, harangue."

Typing three characters into the search box triggers a scrollable list of suggestions for quicker access. Users can select a suggested word or bypass it to enter a term manually before executing the search by pressing the return key.

The search functionality allows for flexible queries. By default, searches expand to include any headwords beginning with the input term; for example, entering "ram" retrieves results like "kala" (کالا, kālā) and "kalar" (کالار, kālār). To alter this behavior and expand searches to include words starting from a specific sequence of characters, users can prefix their query with the "%" wildcard character. For instance, "%kal" would yield results like "ittikal" (اتكال ittikāl) and "ashkal" (اشكال ashkāl).

For more comprehensive searches, users can switch to full-text searching by selecting the appropriate button and inputting their terms. This mode supports multiword searches and boolean operators such as "NOT" and "OR," allowing for nuanced query possibilities. For example, searching "horse colt" retrieves results containing both terms, whereas "horse OR colt" yields a wider range of approximately 1253 results.

The application's substring matching feature enhances its utility further. Users can adjust settings via the "Search Options" menu; for example, selecting "Words ending with" and entering "ham" generates 434 relevant results.

Search results are neatly organized in a numbered list that includes the Persian headword alongside its Latin transliteration and an excerpt of its definition. For full definitions, users can tap on the desired headword. In online mode, these results also feature a page number link that provides additional context from the dictionary entries.

To switch between online and offline modes, users can simply toggle the selector located at the top of the screen. On startup, the app assesses internet connectivity to determine operational mode; however, it defaults to online mode upon initiation. Users are encouraged to select their preferred mode prior to conducting searches for optimal functionality.