Lexicography and Its Interdisciplinary Contacts, with Special Reference to Linguistics and Onomasiology

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The article attempts a first conspectus of what is known about interdisciplinary con-tacts between the fields of Lexicography and Linguistics, and in the process asks a range of funda-mental questions on whether and how the subject matter is shared, and how we can improve mutual relations. Firstly, some opinions and arguments in the literature are reviewed, with par-ticular attention to (a) what criteria determine the status of a discipline, (b) how various relations between Lexicography and Linguistics can be modelled, (c) how practice and theory interact, and (d) what parallels there are between the two disciplines, in terms of such notions as description, codification and remediation. Secondly, views from the position of Linguistics are categorised his-torically and systematically, first by tracing the development from historical-comparative or dia-chronic linguistics (philology) to structural-descriptive (synchronic) linguistics as well as applied linguistics, and then by combining five of the linguistic 'levels' with the three semiotic 'dimensions', and relating them to various interdisciplinary or problem-solving fields, such as sociolinguistics and computational linguistics. Thirdly, several points of view in Lexicography are presented, and an explicit framework is developed for displaying its place relative to its 'mother', 'sister' and 'daughter' disciplines as well as some of its 'data-supplying' disciplines, paying special attention to the problem of methodology. Fourthly, as a special case study, the territory of 'onomasiology' is discussed to illustrate the limitations and possibilities of various approaches to the analysis, de-scription and lexicographic presentation of synonym and antonym sets of vocabulary. The con-clusion is reached that ways must be found to understand the interdisciplinary nature of Lexico-graphy, and a plea is made to move from mutual neglect to deliberate collaboration. (Several dia-grams are used to display networks of relations; bibliographical references focus on recent work and include representative reference works for the major disciplines mentioned.)Keywords: LEXICOGRAPHY, METALEXICOGRAPHY, THEORY AND PRACTICE, DE-SCRIPTION, CODIFICATION, REMEDIATION, APPLICATION, INTERDISCIPLINARY CON-TACTS, LINGUISTICS, ONOMASIOLOGY, MOTHER DISCIPLINES, SISTER DISCIPLINES, DAUGHTER DISCIPLINES, DATA-SUPPLYING DISCIPLINES, METHODOLOGY, REFERENCE SCIENCE, SEMIOTICS*****OPSOMMING: Leksikografie en sy interdissiplinêre skakels, met spesiale ver-wysing na linguistiek en onomasiologie. Die artikel probeer 'n eerste oorsig gee van wat bekend is oor interdissiplinêre skakels tussen die gebiede van die Leksikografie en die Lin-guistiek, en vra in die proses 'n reeks grondliggende vrae oor of en hoe die vakinhoude gedeel word, en hoe ons onderlinge verwantskappe kan verbeter. Eerstens word 'n aantal opvattings en argumente in die literatuur beskou, met besondere aandag aan (a) watter kriteria die status van 'n dissipline bepaal, (b) hoe verskillende verwantskappe tussen die Leksikografie en die Linguistiek gevorm kan word, (c) hoe praktyk en teorie in wisselwerking is, en (d) watter parallelle daar tussen die twee dissiplines bestaan ingevolge sulke begrippe soos beskrywing, kodifikasie en remedi-ering. Tweedens word beskouings uit die hoek van die Linguistiek histories en sistematies gekate-goriseer, eers deur die ontwikkeling na te spoor vanaf die histories-vergelykende of diachroniese linguistiek (filologie) tot die struktureel-beskrywende (sinchroniese) linguistiek sowel as die toege-paste linguistiek, en dan deur vyf van die linguistiese "vlakke" met die drie semiotiese "dimensies" saam te voeg, en hulle in verband te bring met verskillende interdissiplinêre of probleemoplos-sende gebiede, soos die sosiolinguistiek en die rekenaarlinguistiek. Derdens word verskeie gesigs-punte in die Leksikografie aangebied, en 'n noukeurige raamwerk ontwikkel om sy plek te toon met betrekking tot sy "moeder"-, "suster"- en "dogter"-dissiplines sowel as sommige van sy "data-verskaffende" dissiplines deur spesiale aandag aan die probleem van metodologie te gee. Vierdens, as 'n spesiale gevallestudie, word die terrein van die "onomasiologie" bespreek om die beperkinge en moontlikhede van verskillende benaderings tot ontleding, beskrywing en leksikografiese aan-bieding van sinoniem- en antoniem-woordeskatgroepe toe te lig. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat maniere gevind moet word om die interdissiplinêre aard van die leksikografie te verstaan, en 'n pleidooi word gelewer om van onderlinge verwaarlosing tot doelbewuste samewer-king te beweeg. (Verskeie diagramme word gebruik om verwantskapsnetwerke te toon; bibliogra-fiese verwysings fokus op onlangse werk en sluit verteenwoordigende naslaanwerke vir die ver-melde hoofdissiplines in.)Sleutelwoorde: LEKSIKOGRAFIE, METALEKSIKOGRAFIE, TEORIE EN PRAKTYK, BESKRYWING, KODIFIKASIE, REMEDIËRING, TOEPASSING, INTERDISSIPLINÊRE SKAKELS, LINGUISTIEK, ONOMASIOLOGIE, MOEDERDISSIPLINES, SUSTERDISSIPLINES, DOGTER-DISSIPLINES, DATAVERSKAFFENDE DISSIPLINES, METODOLOGIE, VERWYSINGSWETEN-SKAP, SEMIOTIEK