The Cambridge Handbook of the Dictionary
Published on 31. October 2024
Book
Hardback
801 pages
978-1-108-83624-1 (ISBN)
Description
There is no such thing as 'the dictionary'. Rather, there are innumerable kinds of dictionaries that respond to their authors' aspirations and their users' needs. In each case, the negotiation among a dictionary's material, its authors, and its readers tells a rich cultural story. Bringing together cutting-edge research from an international team of experts, this interdisciplinary Handbook provides an all-encompassing account of dictionaries in context. Organized into five thematic parts, its chapters cover a multitude of topics such as types of dictionaries, the place of dictionaries in intellectual, cultural and book history, and dictionaries as material objects, as well as their visual design. It also explores the role of dictionaries in a select group of special fields where words especially matter (for instance, law), the business contexts in which dictionaries are made, and finally the future of dictionaries. There is no fuller or more compelling overview of dictionaries available today.
Reviews / Votes
'An instructive, inspiring, innovative volume about dictionaries and why we need and use them, how we design, produce and sell them, and how they reflect their times - in short: a must-read for anyone interested in their past, present, and even future forms.' Annette Klosa-Kueckelhaus, Head of Lexicography Area, Leibniz Institute for the German Language, Mannheim 'This Handbook stands out for its strikingly original take on the world of dictionaries. The range and diversity of the topics it covers - many of them barely addressed until now - makes this an enjoyable and incredibly interesting read. The book's prevailing tone - fairly informal, and very approachable - belies the real scholarhip that underpins every chapter.' Michael Rundell, Chief Lexicographic Officer, Lexical Computing 'What a vast compendium! In addition to expectable chapters on the history, structure, progress, and prospects of dictionaries, this collection of essays by top-notch lexicographers brings us delightfully unexpected tidbits as well: looking backward, we learn why the 4th edition of Black's Law Dictionary includes an entry for Boston cream pie; looking forward, we envision a time when putting a dictionary next to an exotic restaurant dish will have it pick up aromas and tell us what herbs and spices are contained!' Joan Houston Hall, Chief Editor Emerita, Dictionary of American Regional EnglishMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 250 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 47 mm
Weight
1537 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-108-83624-1 (9781108836241)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Edward Finegan is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Law at the University of Southern California. He served as President of the Dictionary Society of North America and of the International Association of Forensic Linguists. He has published widely on dictionaries and attitudes toward dictionaries. Michael Adams is Provost Professor in the Department of English at Indiana University at Bloomington. He has contributed to the Middle English Dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionaries, and the Barnhart Dictionary Companion and served as editor of the journals Dictionaries and American Speech. He is a Fellow of the Dictionary Society of North America.
Content
Acknowledgments; Introduction Michael Adams and Edward Finegan; Part I. Types of Dictionaries: 1. Dictionary typologies Michael Adams; 2. Historical and other specialized dictionaries Ammon Shea; 3. Thesauri Kate Wild; 4. Commercial dictionaries Orin Hargraves; 5. Bilingual dictionaries Carla Marello; 6. Learner's dictionaries Shigeru Yamada and Hai Xu; 7. Children's dictionaries Susan Rennie; 8. Dictionaries of quotations and dictionaries of proverbs Elizabeth Knowles; Part II. Dictionary as Book: 9. Dictionary typography Michael Adams; 10. Illustrations in dictionaries Michael Hancher; 11. Page and book design in dictionaries Wendalyn Nichols; 12. Dictionaries in book history John Considine; 13. Dictionaries as material objects Lindsay Rose Russell; Part III. Dictionaries and Ideology: 14. Dictionaries, language ideologies, and language attitudes David West Brown; 15. Dictionaries and cultural politics Lindsay Rose Russell; 16. Usage in dictionaries and dictionaries of usage Don Chapman; 17. Dictionaries and language contact Jason F. Siegel; 18. Dictionaries in religious history and biblical interpretation William A. Ross; 19. Attitudes toward 'the dictionary; Edward Finegan; Part IV. Dictionaries and Domains of Use: 20. Dictionary audiences Katherine Connor Martin; 21. Dictionaries and intellectual history John Considine; 22. Dictionaries and social history Carol Percy; 23. Linguistics and philology in dictionaries Anatoly Liberman; 24. Dictionaries as literary artifacts Ilan Stavans; 25. Dictionaries and editors Jonathon Owen; 26. Lexicography and the law Bryan A. Garner; Part V. The Business of Dictionaries: 27. Organizing dictionary projects Cathal Convery; 28. Editing dictionaries Joseph P. Pickett; 29. Publishing the dictionary: the business side of the business John Morse; 30. Legal and ethical issues in dictionary-making Michael Adams; Part VI. The future of Dictionaries: 31. The future of dictionaries Gilles-Maurice de Schryver.