REVIEWS

 

Michael Klotz and Thomas Herbst. English Dictionaries: A Linguistic Introduction. 2016, 287 pp. ISBN 978 3 503 16751 7. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag. Price: €19.95.

 

 

For a period spanning several centuries, lexicography has been seen, by professional and lay people alike, as a philological undertaking for which sprachgefühl alone will suffice. This is partly true, however, because it is not that linguistics is not helpful, but that modern linguistics appeared much later. Even after the genesis of Saussurean linguistics around the 1920s, few lexicographers realized that there is a substantial common ground between lexicography and linguistics. Preliminary drawing on linguistics was first seen in the developing English pedagogical sector of lexicography in the 1930s. Still, the linguistic influence on pedagogical lexicography at that early phase was not very significant. Actually, the influence was basically confined to such topics as controlled vocabulary and pedagogical grammar in applied linguistics. The scene, however, changed gradually but remarkably, and from the 1980s onwards lexicography in general has become growingly responsive to the advances in linguistics to the extent that many lexicographic innovations are realized through the creative application of cutting-edge linguistic theories (Wang 2004). Therefore, quite a number of introductions to lexicography are linguistics-laden (e.g. Al-Kasimi 1977, Jackson 2002, and Landau 2002). English Dictionaries: A Linguistic Introduction by Michael Klotz and Thomas Herbst is a recent addition to this fruitful association.

As suggested by the title, English Dictionaries deals mainly with English lexicography from a linguistic perspective. The authors are two German lexicographers, who had co-authored an introductory book on lexicography some ten years ago, written in Germany. However, it is not to be assumed that the present volume is a sheer translation of the previous work. The German original, as a matter of fact, underwent a complete revision in structure and content, with a focus on English dictionaries and references to up-to-date dictionaries (or new editions) and the latest literature.

Comprising 287 pages, the book proper has eight chapters, bookended by a preface and a terminological index plus a bibliography. Roughly, the eight chapters fulfil two major tasks: a general introduction and a thematic elaboration. Chapters 1-3 are devoted to general issues in lexicography. Unlike other writers of similar books, Klotz and Herbst deserve special credit for applying their own theory, namely 'the theory of lexicographic scope' (elaborated in Chapter 2). Integrated with the structural approach, the theory proposed in Chapter 2 serves as a thread running through the whole book in one way or another. In a sense, Chapters 1 and 2 can be seen as context chapters surrounding the core of the book. Subsequent to the introductory outline in Chapter 1 and the theoretical exposition in Chapter 2, Chapter 3 familiarizes the reader with the structural components of dictionaries. In Chapter 3 two traditional structural aspects, macrostructure and microstructure, receive greater attention and are treated comprehensively. Chapters 4-8 consider detailed topics ranging from information categories and presentation modes to lexicographic sourcing, ending with a survey of English dictionaries that completes the book. English mono- and bilingual dictionaries are dealt with in Chapters 4 and 5 respectively, with well-conducted comparisons within some typological genres. E-lexicography is one of the vigorous driving forces that shape current lexicography and therefore it is presented individually in Chapter 6. Either for lexicographers or for lay users, the knowledge of exploring (re)sources for dictionary compilation can be more significant than imagined. Short as it is (running only 15 pages), Chapter 7 succinctly and innovatively surveys the language materials used in lexicography. The book ends with a sketchy account of various English dictionaries.

On the whole, the structural and thematic development of English Dictionaries does not possess too much innovation, but the reader can still find much lexicographic guidance. In response to the intention of being an introductory work, the pedagogical function is best demonstrated in its textual accessibility and logical clarity, as well as the informative and instructive bibliography which will direct the reader to further lexicographic publications. For readers who approach lexicography for the first time, the design is conducive to acquainting them with the new subject; on the other hand, readers will be in a better position to reflect on their linguistic knowledge from a lexicographic perspective. The discourse of the book unfolds in an objective but inviting tone. Wording like 'love at second sight' provides not only intertextual association, but is also revealing in interpreting the divided impression on dictionaries. The extensive use of dictionary extracts and cross references also facilitates the holistic networking of the subject.

To the present reviewer, the most outstanding merits that these two authors deserve are their fresh approaches to and insights into some lexicographic issues. For instance, thanks to their German background, they expertly transplant the Vermeerean Skopostheorie into lexicography with adapted parameters. Evidently, the authors strive to extend their horizons beyond structuralist linguistics in seeking theoretical support, as can also be seen in their adopting the Hallidayan construct of thematic progression in Chapter 3 to interpret the microstructural configuration of entries. Even within the 'orthodox' paradigm of linguistics, they manage to expose the reader to some neglected insights. A case in point is to be found in the use of 'addressing' for interpreting the aforementioned entry development as thematic progression. The notion of an 'addressing structure', which is often absent in other English literature on lexicography, thus figures prominently in the structural analysis of entries and sub-entries. The introduction of language materials is common in many similar books, but the authors present them in a novel way in this regard. In Chapter 7 the lexicographic data are classified into langue and parole data, with the latter subclassified into citations and corpora. This angle of presentation is conducive to the critical use of dictionaries, as well as the understanding of the very nature of dictionary generation.

Admittedly, there are still possibilities for the improvement of the book. It

would be advisable for the authors to draw more on other linguistic resources so as to better live up to the book's subtitle and to the recent developments in English lexicography. Except for the brief reference to the Hallidayan terms of theme vs. rheme and the Vermeerean Skopostheorie, the linguistic resources the authors turn to are basically confined to the structuralist school. The structural perspective alone, in the opinion of the present reviewer, would not suffice to bring descriptive and explanatory adequacy to the fast-developing discipline. For example, lexicographic application from the flourishing cognitive linguistics has brought about the 'cognitive turn' and exerted a great influence on lexicography. Another minor criticism is the neglect of comprehensiveness of English lexicography. Anglo-centeredness is always discernible in many narrations of English lexicography and English Dictionaries is not fully immune to this bias. Except for a few Germany-produced dictionaries, the survey of English dictionaries covers only those made in the two major varieties from the 'Inner Circle' (Kachru 1985), namely the UK and the USA. Over the past decades, English lexicography in the other two circles has flourished and thus constitutes a crucial share in the lexicography of English(es). British and/or American English dictionaries should not be the custodian of the Anglo-Saxon language and culture. In particular, the sector of learner's lexicography from non-Anglo-Saxon areas is in a position to shed some light on English learner's lexicography in general.

Overall, English Dictionaries deserves more credit than criticism. In the present-day times, English has grown into the de facto Esperanto in the world and the population of English learners has kept surging to outnumber English native-speakers. English lexicography occupies a significant standing in Anglistics. A close examination of the evolution of English dictionaries will bring the conclusion that linguistics has constituted the major catalyst for the progress of English lexicography. English Dictionaries is undoubtedly a stimulating publication worthy of its name. The present reviewer is convinced that English Dictionaries is a sine qua non for university students majoring in English and is also confident in recommending it to the wider community of English lexicographers and linguists.

 

Acknowledgements

This review is supported in part by the Social Science Foundation of the Fujian Province of China (Grant No. FJ2015A029) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant No. 20720150008).

 

References

Al-Kasimi, A.M. 1977. Linguistics and Bilingual Dictionaries. Leiden: E.J. Brill.         [ Links ]

Jackson, H. 2002. Lexicography: An Introduction. London/New York: Routledge.         [ Links ]

Kachru, B.B. 1985. Standards, Codification and Sociolinguistic Realism: The English Language in the Outer Circle. Quirk, R. and H.G. Widdowson (Eds.). 1985. English in the World: Teaching and Learning the Language and Literatures: 11-30. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.         [ Links ]

Landau, S.I. 2001. Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography. Second Edition. New York/Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.         [ Links ]

Wang, F.F. 2004. Current Linguistics and Lexicographic Innovation. Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Press.         [ Links ]

 

 

Kaihuai Du
College of Foreign Languages and Cultures
Xiamen University
Xiamen
P.R. China
(kindhawaii@163.com; kindhawaii@xmu.edu.cn)