Lexicography in the Information Age

Abstract

Lexicography has much to contribute to the information and knowledge society. The very essence of lexicography is its capacity to provide quick and easy access to data from which information needed by different types of users in different types of social situations can be re-trieved. In this respect, the article discusses the concepts of information and knowledge related to lexicographic theory. On this basis, it argues that lexicography, if it concentrates on its core capac-ity, has the potential to be projected beyond the limits of known dictionaries. It proposes that besides the communicative and cognitive user situations that have already been dealt with in lexi-cographic literature, a third situation, the so-called operational situation, should also be added to the situations relevant to lexicographic theory. In this regard, it points out that other reference works than those traditionally discussed in lexicographic theory should be added to the list of util-ity tools that may benefit from a lexicographic approach.

Keywords: lexicography, lexicographic tools, information needs, in-formation and knowledge society