English Dictionaries

English - the world's most widely used language - has a large and varied dictionary market serving users around the world. The present introduction to English lexicography takes a linguistic perspective on English dictionaries, while at the same time putting great focus on the needs of the users and in particular foreign learners.Starting from the user perspective and the question of what makes a "good" dictionary, the book familiarizes the reader with a wide variety of English dictionaries and the characteristics which distinguish them. Topics such as dictionary structure, the information types of mono- and bilingual (English-German) dictionaries and a large number of specialized English dictionaries ranging from historical to learner's dictionaries are thoroughly discussed and illustrated from a wide range of current editions of major English dictionaries. The relevant terminology of lexicography is worked into the discussion in individual chapters, however the number of terms introduced in this book is restricted to a manageable size. Although much of what is said in the book applies to print and electronic dictionaries alike, one entire chapter is dedicated to specific aspects of the quickly developing field of electronic lexicography.
While the book's main focus is on English dictionaries, many aspects of the linguistic description of the English language are also discussed with respect to their treatment in dictionaries. Readers will therefore also be introduced to the many characteristics of the English language itself.