The Language of Russian Orthodoxy through the Prism of Lexicography

Abstract

The Dictionary reviewed has filled a lacuna in Russian lexicography, presenting the vocabulary of Orthodoxy as a natural component of the modern Russian language that functions not only in the religious sphere, but also in the everyday lives of Russians. The analysis of the Dictionary is preceded by a short essay on the lexicographic sources describing the vocabulary of Orthodoxy and on the ideological deformation of the religious subsystem of vocabulary during totalitarianism. The book represents a new genre of lexicographical works defined by the author as an Explanatory Encyclopaedic Dictionary. The dual nature of the Dictionary is manifested both in the vocabulary and in the structure of the dictionary entries. The linguistic component combines interpretation, etymology, and stylistic features, as the object of description is the word as a unit of language. The encyclopaedic focus of the Dictionary is shown in the commentary and illustrations, as the object of interpretation is the referent of the word described. The reviewers carry out an analysis of the vocabulary, including the basic concepts of religious and theological terms, names of representatives of the Celestial and church hierarchy, words of different thematic groups connected with church life, and the lexicon of Christian morals. Additionally, the article describes the principles of representing entry words and the stylistic and semantic connections of lexical units included in the Dictionary. Special attention is paid to the illustrations that supplement and deepen the interpretation of entries, as well as to the author’s commentary, which has undoubted cultural value and contains information of an encyclopaedic nature. The Dictionary has great practical value: while being aimed at a wide secular audience, it may also be useful for a church audience.