Modern Lexicography: An Introduction

This is an account of how dictionaries are made, how they are used, and the issues and problems that face their writers and editors. Bejoint gives a concise history of the general-purpose dictionary, describing both the main approaches to dictionary making and the main kinds of dictionary. After comparing the different lexicographical traditions of Great Britain and the USA, and considering the roles of dictionaries in those countries, Dr Bejoint explores thelinguistic problems in such matters as distinguishing meanings, writing definition, providing synonyms, etc. He ends with a discussion of current lexicographical trends.