Template:en-lemming test/documentation

	Documentation for Template:en-lemming test.
	This page contains usage information, categories, interwiki links and other content describing the template.

This template gathers several reference templates that lead to an entry in online dictionaries.

It should not be used directly in entries; it is meant to smooth out RFD procedures, by helping to check the presence of multiwords entries or idioms in other dictionaries. The idea is that if several other dictionaries have an entry for a certain word, maybe Wiktionary should have it too (herdthink or lemming logic).

• {{R:Cambridge}} = CB
• {{R:Century 1911}} = CD
• {{R:Collins English Dictionary}} = CO
• {{R:Lexico}} = LX
• {{R:Longman}} = LM
• {{R:Macmillan}} = MM
• {{R:Merriam-Webster Online}} = MW
• {{R:OneLook}} = OL
• {{R:TheFreeDictionaryIdioms}} = TFD

It takes one optional parameter. If left empty, it fetches the page title automatically.

Example:

{{en-lemming test|nowhere near}}

gives

nowhere near (Check: CB, CD, CO, LX, LM, MM, MW, OL, TFD).

Given that there's no normalisation between dictionaries, the results can be deceitful. For example, lose one's head is found under that form in Merriam-Webster, Collins and Oxford Dictionaries Online, but under lose your head in Macmillan, Cambridge Dictionary and Longman. There will thus be many false negatives.

{{en-lemming test|lose one's head}}

gives

lose one's head (Check: CB, CD, CO, LX, LM, MM, MW, OL, TFD)

A solution would be to allow for searching several alternative forms simultaneously, but it's currently impossible technically.

Ideas for improvement:

• return result of query: “no headword found in...”
• sum up the successful queries. "> 5" is probably a good indicator that we should have it.