Lexicography and dictionaries

Lexicography, that is the theory and practice of compiling dictionaries, is an important branch of applied linguistics. It has a common object of study with lexicology as both describe the vocabulary of a language.

The term dictionary is used to denote a book listing words of a language with their meanings and often with data regarding pronunciation, usage and/or origin. There are also dictionaries that concentrate their attention upon only one of these aspects: pronouncing (phonetical) dictionaries and etymological dictionaries.

For dictionaries in which the words and their definition belong to the same language the term unilingual or explanatory is used, whereas bilingual or translation dictionaries are those that explain words by giving their equivalents in another language. Multilingual or polyglot dictionaries are not numerous, they serve chiefly the purpose of comparing synonyms and terminology in various languages.

Unilingual dictionaries are further subdivided with regard to time. Diachronic dictionaries, of which the Oxford English Dictionary is the main example, reflect the development of the English vocabulary by recording the history of form and meaning for every word registered. They may be contrasted to synchronic or descriptive dictionaries of current English concerned with present-day meaning and usage of words. The examples of such dictionaries are Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionaryof Current English by A.S. Hornby (the new 7th edition in 2005), Macmillan English Dictionary forAdvanced Learners, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.

Both bilingual and unilingual dictionaries can be general and special.

General dictionaries represent the vocabulary as a whole.

General dictionaries are contrasted to special dictionaries whose stated aim is to cover only a certain specific part of the vocabulary. Special dictionaries may be further subdivided depending on whether the words are chosen according to the sphere of human activity in which they are used (technical dictionaries), the type of the units themselves (e.g. phraseological dictionaries) or the relationships existing between them (e.g. dictionaries of synonyms).

English lexicography is probably the richest in the world with respect to variety and scope of the dictionaries published.

A dictionary is the most widely used reference book in English homes and business offices. Correct pronunciation and correct spelling are of great social importance because they are necessary for efficient communication.

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