The definitional practice of dictionaries and the Cognitive Semantic conception of polysemy

Abstract

Cognitive Semantics has had a major impact on lexical studies: more than any other recent theory, it has in the last fifteen years led to a renewed interest in lexical research. But what about lexicography ? What is the relationship between Cognitive Semantics and lexicography ? And specifically, in the context of the present issue of this journal, what is the impact of Cognitive Semantics on the lexicographical treatment of polysemy ? In what follows, I will try to answer that question succinctly and perhaps a bit sketchily, but also as fair as possible to both the theoretical, lexicological and the practical, lexicographical part of the comparison. I emphasize my attempt at fairness, because I deliberately want to avoid any form of theoretical imperialism. It is definitely not an assumption of this paper that theoreticians in principle have the answers, and that lexicographers simply have to follow. I have pointed out earlier (GEERAERTS 1997, 5) that there should be a relationship of mutual inspiration between both disciplines, and even though the present paper looks from lexicological theory to lexicographical practice rather than the other way round, I still hold the reverse perspective to be equally important.