From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A
dictionary is maximizing if it attempts to include as
many words as possible from a particular speech community. An
example of a maximizing dictionary (also spelled maximising
dictionary) is the
Oxford English Dictionary, as it attempts to lemmatise (i.e.
show as entry words) as many words as possible. This is one way
in which to classify dictionaries based on the number of entry
words they contain and give information about, i.e. their
coverage.
The distinction between a maximizing dictionary and a
minimizing dictionary is also important in connection with
specialized dictionaries. A law dictionary that contains more
than 20000 entry words is a maximizing dictionary, as it
attempts to include nearly all legal terms. This should be
contrasted with a law dictionary that contains 2000 words, which
is a minimizing in that it cannot reasonably be claimed to cover
more than a limited number of legal terms.
Relevant literature
- Sandro Nielsen: "Contrastive Description of Dictionaries
Covering LSP Communication", in:
Fachsprache/International Journal of LSP 3-4/1990,
129-136
Categories:
Lexicography |
Dictionaries