Specialised lexicography (also spelled specialized lexicography) is a an academic discipline that is concerned with the design, compilation, use and evaluation of specialized dictionaries. A specialized dictionary is a dictionary that covers a relatively restricted set of phenomena, usually within one of more subject field. An alternative term for this type of dictionary is LSP dictionary.

Various aspects of specialised lexicography

The study of specialised lexicography deals with several important aspects within the general field of lexicography. The problems involved in designing and making bilingual dictionaries within a culture-dependent subject field involves aspects such as the user's linguistic competence in both languages as well as the user's extra-linguistic (factual) competence in both cultures.

The function for which the dictionary has been designed is also relevant. The dictionary may have been designed to help the user with two general types of function: communication-oriented and knowledge-oriented. The former deals with the translation of texts, reception of texts, production of texts and revision of texts, and the latter deals with the acquisition of knowledge (data and information) in situations that are independent of communication.

Specialised lexicography is therefore the discipline where scholars attempt to develop principles and techniques that can help both the compilers of dictionaries and the users. In particular the presentation of data in the dictionary should be structured in such a way that the lexicographic information costs are kept at a minimum.

Relevant literature

• Henning Bergenholtz/Sven Tarp (eds.): Manual of Specialised Lexicography. Benjamins Publishing 1995.
• Sandro Nielsen: The Bilingual LSP Dictionary. Gunter Narr Verlag 1994.

External links

• Lexicographical Basis for an Electronic Bilingual Accounting Dictionary: Theoretical Considerations