Wolfgang Schweickard - Böcker

Since about 4000 years ago, lexicography has been a component of all cultures in which script was known. The path of its development goes from word lists on clay tablets to computer stored data banks. In our day, lexicography has a scientific and a non-scientific form. The former form comprises works on various sources of information and reference that pursue various important purposes, such as: help in the acquisition of the mother tongue and of foreign languages; in various types of acquisition of scientific and technical knowledge; in translation; and in cultural exchange and in ideological developments, either within one`s own or in a foreign linguistic community. The social importance of lexicography is occasionally taken cognizance of even in international politics.The last two decades have witnessed an upsurge in interest in lexicography. On the one hand, international contacts are becoming more intimate in terms both of culture and economy; on the other hand and as far as scientific considerations go, the lexicon is being studied more within the framework of various theories, problems of the vocabulary are being studied within the area of foreign language teaching, and the application of the computer in lexicography and in other fields has brought new problems, together with many advantages. The increase in interest in the lexicon has been accompanied by the emergence of the study of dictionaries as a scientific discipline. This discipline studies the tools of reference as to their forms, structures, the way they are used, their history, and their criticism; ultimately, it is the study of those reference tools in relation to the culture in which they are embedded.The Encyclopedia deals with lexicography and with the study of dictionaries; its three volumes cover the whole area in a great wealth of detail but in a coherent way: authors have written 349 articles in English, French, and German. They are distributed in 38 chapters.The Encyclopedia pursues the following goals: to describe the lexicography of all the language families, with particular attention given to the European languages and their transplanted varieties, to develop a typology of the lexicographic reference books, above all the linguistic dictionaries, within the various cultures and societies, to provide the basis for the study of the lexicon within a general theory of lexicography in relation to the study of various functions of dictionaries in individual cultures and in relation to the theories of the lexicon in various linguistic schools of thought, to develop the methodology of lexicographic work in all its phases, beginning with the appointments of a lexicographic office and ending with the application of the computer, to pinpoint areas in greatest need of improvement both in the lexicographic practice of individual territories and in the theory of lexicography, to offer a rich bibliography both of dictionaries and of secondary literature, to foster the development of lexicography into a discipline that while pursuing practical goals will be suitable for being taught and learned in a scientific way.

With regard to historical linguistics, the study of romance languages enjoys the privilege of a long documentation history, which, with Latin as its basis, dates back almost three thousand years. This long tradition makes it possible to analyze nearly every language-historical aspect, as well as to develop methods and test theories without having to rely on speculation. Drawing upon this rich history, "Romanische sprachgeschichte (Romance Language History)" describes the systematic nature of spoken and written language in the Romance language area on the one hand, and on the other hand determines the conditionality of such human behaviour due to regional, social and situational conformities - themselves subject to the changing of times - and to culture-historical and literary determinants. With regard to both of these aspects, "Romanische Sprachgeschichte" breaks away from the typical focus on the history of the individual national Romance languages and adds a diachronic dimension to the continuum of language varieties within the Romance language area.Thematic parallels and contrastive analysis of the various Romance languages and language areas make it possible to observe and analyze divergences as well as convergences in language development under different socio-historical conditions. The main languages of publication are German and French. However, a few articles in Spanish and Italian are also included.

With regard to historical linguistics, the study of Romance languages enjoys the privilege of a long documentation history, which, with Latin as its basis, dates back almost three thousand years. This long tradition makes it possible to analyze nearly every language-historical aspect as well as to develop methods and test theories without having to rely on speculation. Drawing upon this rich history, "Romanische Sprachgeschichte" (Romance Language History) describes the systematic nature of spoken and written language in the Romance language area on the one hand, and on the other hand determines the conditionality of such human behavior due to regional, social and situational conformities - themselves subject to the changing of times - and to culture- historical and literary determinants. With regard to both of these aspects, "Romanische Sprachgeschichte" breaks away from the typical focus on the history of the individual national Romance languages and adds a diachronic dimension to the continuum of language varieties within the Romance language area.Thematic parallels and contrastive analysis of the various Romance languages and language areas make it possible to observe and analyze divergences as well as convergences in language development under different sociohistorical conditions. The main languages of publication are German and French.

The basis for this additional volume are the three volumes of the handbooks Dictionaries. An International Encyclopedia of Lexicography (HSK 5.1–5.3), published between 1989 and 1991. An updating has been perceived as an important desideratum for a considerable time. In the present Supplementary Volume the premises and subjects of HSK 5.1–5.3 are complemented by new articles that take account of the practice-internal and theoretical developments of the last 15 years. Special attention has been given to the following topics: the status and function of lexicographic reference works, the history of lexicography, the theory of lexicography, lexicographic processes, lexicographic training and lexicographic institutions, new metalexicographic methods, electronic and, especially, computer-assisted lexicography.

This second volume on the Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom) contains forty new lexicographical articles as well as an extensive theoretical section which discusses various questions pertaining to the methods, problems and implications of comparative reconstruction in Romance linguistics (phonology, semantics, grammar, geolinguistics and cartography).

The third volume of the DÉRom contains about forty new lexicographical articles, documenting mainly hereditary Protoromance etyma, but also Gallic borrowings. The theoretical section gathers chapters discussing questions such as the Idioromance infrastructure of the DÉRom, polysemy, synonymy, and the substrates of Protoromance.