Lexicography in Poland

Abstract

Summary The paper sketches the history of Polish lexicography and the most important dictionaries of Polish from the beginnings in the late Middle Ages, until the present. The focus is on monolingual dictionaries, while bi- and multilingual publications are touched upon only insofar as they constitute significant contributions to the development of monolingual dictionaries. The paper stresses the continuity of some solutions which relate above all to the opposition between prescriptivism and liberalism. Individual dictionaries are discussed against a wide cultural background. The evolution of lexicographic methods and techniques too is treated. Much space has been given to the discussion of the situation after 1990, the year when Poland re-gained its sovereignty, and when dictionary publishers, like other entrepreneurs, endeavoured to adjust to new market conditions. The pros and cons of the impact of such commercial behaviour on dictionary production are touched upon, and an attempt is made to predict the near future of dictionary-making in Poland.