Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1996. Vol. 1. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 24)
Geoff Barnbrook: From description to prescription and back again
now also used by OALDCE and LDOCE, and while it does not absolutely impose a descriptive approach, it establishes the language itself as the starting-point rather than the linguistic prejudices of the lexicographer. Summary This brief exploration of some of the major stages in the development of monolingual English dictionaries has established the shift from description to prescription which took place within the 18th century. As the function of the dictionaries shifted to encompass the entire language, so their aims altered from modest explanations of newly-borrowed lexis to rather grander projects of language maintenance. The OED , with its emphasis on the history of lexis, provides the model for the ultimate descriptive dictionary, although one that necessarily lies outside the mainstream of dictionary development. Modern learners' dictionaries, building on the revolution in language teaching methods of the late 19th century and the availability of large computer corpora of the late 20th century, have restored a mainly descriptive approach to English lexicography. References Barnbrook, G. (1995). The Language of Definition: A Cobuild sublanguage parser , unpublished PhD thesis, School of English, University of Birmingham. Barnbrook, G. (1996). Language and Computers: A Practical Introduction to the Computer Analysis of Language , Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Béjoint, H. (1994). Tradition and Innovation in Modern English Lexicography , Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cawdrey, R. (1604). A Table Alphabetical!, conteyning and teaching the true writing, and vnderstanding of hard vsuall English words, borrowed from the Hebrew, Greeke, Latiné, or French, &c., facsimile edition 1970, Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Cocker, E. (1696). Accomplish 'd School-master , facsimile edition 1967, Menston: Scolar Press. 30
