Lexicographic Practice Research Articles

IDS-Neo2020+: A Novel Resource for New German Words in Use

Abstract Researching and recording new lexical items and senses holds a well-established position within German linguistics. The first corpus-based online dictionary (the Neologism Dictionary 2006ff.) was introduced in 2006 and focused on collecting and describing neologisms which had emerged and become established over the three decades from 1900 to 2020. In 2022, a new concept was developed to elevate lexicographic aspirations by integrating linguistic as well as encyclopaedic knowledge, and by introducing innovative presentational approaches. In this paper, the key changes and concepts of the new resource (published in platform OWID) will be highlighted, in particular its main aim, which is to merge an online dictionary with a dynamic informative dashboard. This combination offers headword-specific details for general reference and comprehensive information related to neologisms that transcends individual units, presented in various formats. Particular emphasis will be placed on the significant connection between neology and (critical) discourse, a facet that has previously played a minor role in lexicographic practices.

ЕТИМОЛОГИЯ И СЕМАНТИЧНА ТИПОЛОГИЯ: РЕГУЛЯРНОСТ НА СЕМАНТИЧНИЯ РАЗВОЙ ПРИ БЪЛГАРСКА ГЛАГОЛНА ЛЕКСИКА

The study is focused on the semantic aspect of etymological analysis. It is mainly oriented towards the etymological lexicographic practice in the “Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary” (BER) and focuses on revealing the typology of semantic changes within an etymological nest. A systematic approach is applied to the analysis of derivational processes within the Proto-Slavic ablaut sequence *per-/ *pьr-/ *pаr- and the regularity of the semantic shifts under study is demonstrated, and an attempt is also made to establish semantic features the basis of which the development takes place. The study is monolinguistic, based on Bulgarian linguistic material extracted from the BER, and is diachronically oriented, but in a number of cases a synchronic approach of analysis is also applied in order to bring out some typological features which can also be detected at the diachronic level. The establishment of semantic regularities and the demonstration of regularity in semantic development is a necessary support for the etymologization of a large volume and diverse lexical material. The results of the study can be the basis for various research works in the field of semantics, both in synchronic and diachronic terms.

CULTURAL STANDARDS OF MODESTY IN THE RUSSIAN AND CHINESE LANGUAGES

The article examines cultural standards of modesty in the Russian and Chinese languages. The study is based on dictionaries and text corpora of two languages. The purpose of the work is to determine universal and nationally specific features in the formation of cultural standards of modesty in the Russian and Chinese languages. The object of the study is modesty as a traditional value of Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures. Modesty is encoded using cultural standards that reflect the essential features of modesty as a sociocultural value that characterizes Russian and Chinese cultures. The study found that in the Russian language, modesty, which is predominantly gender-based, is mainly associated with the image of a girl (woman). Modesty as a universal human quality is realized contradictorily: 1) “the modesty of a hero, a real person” and 2) “the modesty of a quiet, timid, dependent person.” In Chinese linguistic culture, “modesty” occupies a strong position, and its “standard” implementation, determined by the ideas of Confucius, is an integral part not only of etiquette, but also the worldview of the Chinese. In the Chinese language, the “standard” implementation of modesty, defined by the ideas of Confucius, is an integral part of etiquette. The Chinese modesty system is associated with natural objects and plant images that are of great importance to Chinese culture. The results of this study can be used in lexicographic practice and in teaching Russian and Chinese languages.

CURRENT STATE AND DEVELOPMENT VECTORS OF LEXICOGRAPHIC PRACTICE IN RUSSIA AND ABROAD

The article analyzes the current trends in the development of lexicographic practice in Russia and abroad. The authors proceed from the fact that the evolution of lexicography as a socially oriented science is determined by a multitude of external and internal factors, dominated by changes in the social life, transformation of users’ data acquisition and reading habits, improvement of technologies, etc. Shifts in the lexicographic paradigm result in the unification of approaches to the creation of dictionaries as well as their content and structure, which indicates the integration of the global scientific and methodological space of lexicography. Lexicographic resources aspire for hybridization, which provides for the solution of a wide range of tasks, use of corpus data, “client-orientation”, which changes the user concept of dictionaries towards personalization of query and dictionary browsing modes. Dictionaries are created in an electronic environment using the capacities of new digital tools and artificial intelligence. Lexicography for specific purposes, represented primarily by terminological dictionaries, databases, ontologies and thesauri, remains a priority. Bilingual and multilingual lexicography is actively developing too, witnessing a significant growth in the number of language parallels and the expansion of the repertoire of services facilitating translation and communication processes. On the other hand, the development of lexicography is determined by national interests, which manifests itself in the creation of dictionaries that form and preserve the national identity of the members of the linguoculture described in the dictionary. The lexicographic concept of cultural heritage is being formed. It is framed by dictionaries of language and culture, phraseological and paremiological dictionaries, onomasticons, dictionaries of idiolects, mythology, folklore, etc. The lexicographic practice adequately responds to the challenges of the time, improving the existing and developing some new methods and techniques of creating dictionaries, thus formatting the general scientific methodological paradigm.

KAZAKH DIGITAL TERMINOLOGY: EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING A TERMINOLOGICAL SUBCORPUS (metatext and terminology markup parameters)

The article is devoted to scientific-theoretical and applied-practical issues (development of metatext and terminological markings) of the creation of a terminological subcorpus, which is part of the National Corpus of the Kazakh Language (NCKL).In the course of the study, the following results were achieved in the development of the terminological subcorpus of the NCKL: 1) scientific texts included in the terminological corpus base have the following meta-text markups: Source, Text type, Text Title, Text Style, Keywords of the text, Field of science, Text language, Number of pages of text, Text graphics, Number of usages, Age of the audience, Subcorpus, Date the text was entered, Markup; 2) terminological terms of various branches of science were assigned terminological markings, including the following parameters: variants of the term in Kazakh and Russian, the etymology of the term and the words that make up the terminological combination, and its equivalent in the Kazakh language, the definition of each term in the Kazakh language, the source from which it was obtained definition of the term, area(s) of application of the term, author of the term, composition of the term, approved version of the term, year of its approval, translation of the term in industry terminology dictionaries, use of the term in legislation (translation and variants).The theoretical significance: clarifies and complements the scientific foundations of the compilation of bilingual and multilingual industry, explanatory terminological dictionaries, the development of electronic dictionaries, contributes to the development of applied terminology and terminography.The practical significance: it can be used in lexicographic practice in the process of developing thematic and sectoral terminological subcorps and during the improvement of the structure and content of various terminological dictionaries.The research used methods of collection, sorting, systematization, translation, diachronic, factual, lexicographic comparison and matching, structural (morphological, syntactic) analysis.

Russian and Chinese national personalities: based on the material of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings with the concept of "property"

This article is devoted to the linguistic and cultural description of the national personality in Russian and Chinese. The subject of this study is the Russian and Chinese language personality. The object represents national cultural similarities and differences. Russian National personality (RNL) and Chinese national personality (CNL) are studied on the basis of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings of the Russian and Chinese languages, which reflect the concept of "property", the purpose of the study is to identify universal, national-specific and typological linguistic and cultural features of the Russian national personality (RNL) and the Chinese national personality (CNL). The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the linguistic and cultural analysis of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings devoted to property can be used in educational activities in courses of linguistic and cultural studies. The provisions and conclusions of the study can be applied in lexicographic practice in compiling dictionaries of phraseological units, as well as in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language, spreading Chinese culture in Russia. To solve the problem, the following research methods are used: the method of continuous sampling of material from dictionaries of the Russian and Chinese languages, the method of thematic classification and systematization of linguistic material, the method of linguistic and cultural commentary and the comparative-contrastive method. The article for the first time considers the problem of Russian and Chinese national personalities, which had not previously been described in the linguistic and cultural aspect, analyzes for the first time the essential monetary values of RNL and CNL, indicates their stereotypical ideas and attitudes towards money, poverty, wealth, benefit, greed and debt. This is the scientific novelty of this study. The research shows that phraseological units, proverbs and sayings with the concept of "property" recorded in Russian and Chinese lexicographic sources differ in quantity and content. Russian and Chinese personalities view the representation of property in different ways. Unlike the Russian people, who pay more attention to the spirit, feelings and emotions, the inner world of the individual, rather than money and material well-being, the Chinese people are characterized by a consciousness of wealth, greed, a commercial streak and a desire for profit. Both RNL and KNL are distinguished by such spiritual characteristics as thrift and economy. They are not characterized by extravagance.

Russian and Chinese national personalities: based on the material of phraseological units and proverbs with the concept of "religion"

This article is devoted to the linguistic and cultural description of the national personality in Russian and Chinese. The subject of this study is the Russian and Chinese language personality. The object of this study represents national cultural similarities and differences; Russian and Chinese national personalities. The purpose of the study is to identify universal and national-specific linguistic and cultural features of Russian and Chinese national personalities based on phraseological units, proverbs of Russian and Chinese languages, which reflect the concept of "religion". The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the lexico-semantic and linguocultural analysis of phraseological units, proverbs of religious subjects can be used in educational activities in courses of lexicology, linguoculturology, linguistic and cultural studies, sociolinguistics. The provisions and conclusions of the study can be applied in lexicographic practice in compiling dictionaries of phraseological units, as well as in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language, spreading Chinese culture in Russia. To solve the problem, the following research methods are used: the method of continuous sampling of material from dictionaries of the Russian and Chinese languages, the method of linguistic and cultural commentary and the comparative-contrastive method. Russian and Chinese national personalities are analyzed for the first time in the article, which has not previously been described in the aspect of comparative linguoculturology, the traditional national religious value of Russian and Chinese personalities is considered for the first time, their stereotypical ideas and character traits under the influence of religion are indicated. This is the scientific novelty of this study. The research shows that phraseological units and proverbs with the concept of religion recorded in Russian and Chinese lexicographic sources differ in quantity and content. The universal traditional religious values of the compared national personalities include faith in the existence of evil and good spirits, love of kindness and the idea of the goodness of human nature. Unlike the Russian people, the Chinese national personality is characterized by non-religion. For the Chinese personality, such religious values as longevity and immortality, great kindness, the desire for a simple life and love of nature, reward for good and evil, the concept of cause and effect, pious faith in the Buddha are of great importance; and for the Russian, a sense of guilt, thirst for suffering and the self-worth of the sacrifice itself, kindness, hard work, patience and faith.

Sociolinguistic phenomena in contemporary Ukrainian dictionaries

The article deals with the problem of interaction between sociolinguistics and lexicography focusing on the relationships between sociolinguistics and the Ukrainian academic lexicography, sociolinguistics and Ukrainian folk lexicography, and briefly considering the problem of interaction between academic and folk lexicography. Sociolingual information, its perception and awareness have a significant impact on the Ukrainian academic lexicography, which is directly revealed in the macro- and microstructure of dictionaries and their metalanguage. The analysis of the ideologically and socially marked lexicon demonstrates the capabilities of academic lexicography to record and adequately interpret linguistic units, taking into account the rapid changes in the sociocultural space of Ukraine and the world, and the facts of the social biography of speakers. The use of sociolinguistic methods contributes to the formation of a scientifically balanced vocabulary register, ensures the collection of various empirical material capable of reflecting the richness and diversity of the Ukrainian vernacular. Observations of the folk lexicographic practice exercised by Facebook users tells us they resort to lexicography unconsciously, directly responding to events in the socio-political, economic and spiritual life of society. However, behind the external “carnival” of folk lexicography lies an effective tool ordinary Facebook users successfully use in the information war against the Russian aggressor. For a comprehensive study of the linguistic situation and language policy in Ukraine, the value orientations of Ukrainian society, Ukrainian-Russian bilingualism, diglossia, language competence, language variation, etc. both materials from academic and folk lexicography can be used, but it is quite clear that the objectivity and impartiality of the results obtained directly depend on how the dictionaries are compiled – in a scientifically sound, methodologically balanced manner or in a chaotic, unsystematic and emotional way. Keywords: Ukrainian sociolinguistics, academic lexicography, folk lexicography, ideologically marked vocabulary, socially marked vocabulary.

ИМЕНА СОБСТВЕННЫЕ В ЯЗЫКЕ, ПЕРЕВОДЕ И ПЕРЕВОДЕ КУЛЬТУРЫ

The paper focuses on onomasticon’s problematic status in language and linguistics. In particular, we posit the following research questions: (1) What is place of onomasticon within a language’s lexicon? (2) Is the current lexicographic practice adequate to the language reality and the users’ needs? (3) Does the modern applied linguistics serve as an adequate theoretical framework for the current practice of intercultural communication, translation and foreign-culture-oriented discourse? The review of approaches towards the nature of the proper names and their place in a language’s lexicon prevalent in the fundamental linguistics allows us to conclude that regardless of the research aspect (semantic, grammatical, or functional), fundamental linguistics treats proper names as a specific category of words, opposed to the rest of the vocabulary basing on a series of parameters. A review of approaches to proper names within branches of applied linguistics, aimed at optimizing the communicative function of language, indicates that they inherit the biased attitude towards proper names, that has been established within fundamental linguistics. This bias results in the theory being inadequate to practical language use. Proper names are characterized by richness and dynamic semantics, formal variability, and functional complexity. Onomasticon in general is highly heterogeneous, with each class of proper names having its functional peculiarities. If we hold it that applied linguistics is meant to solve the problems of language users, facilitate and optimize the language functioning, then excluding a large and highly problematic lexical category from its object, applied linguistics defeats its purpose.

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF UNPUBLISHED CHAGATAI-PERSIAN DICTIONARIES OF THE 16th–18th CENTURIES: LEXICOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOCULTURAL ASPECTS

The investigation delves into Chagatai-Persian dictionaries from the 16th to the 18th centuries, preserved in the Central Library of Punjab University. The article aims to study the structural features of these dictionaries in the context of their sociocultural significance and influence on the further development of Turkic languages. These invaluable medieval artifacts underwent detailed scrutiny using multiple methods, encompassing structural, lexical, codicological, lexicographic and sociocultural analyses. Within a single manuscript cover, there exist six treatises on the Turkic-Persian lexicon alongside a textbook elucidating Turkic language grammar. These are inscribed in the Perso-Arabic script, a writing system employed for the Chagatai language. The chief lexicographic design integrates headwords and their explanations in couplets, avoiding any typographic or grammatical demarcation. The artful use of rhyme schemes is evident in the systematic arrangement of headwords. A thorough scrutiny of these medieval Chagatai-Persian dictionaries brings to light their distinct lexicographical framework, crafted meticulously to support linguistic conservation. These works capture a wide spectrum of vocabulary from different Turkic territories, underlining the endeavor to encapsulate a broad cultural legacy. Elements such as rhyming masnavi-inspired explanatory sentences, thematic clusters, and dedicated segments on commands and equine terminology are observed. Notably, the integration of Persian elements, especially in the form of auxiliary verbs, symbolizes a fusion of languages. The dictionaries showcase an emphasis on practical vocabulary acquisition through the harmonious pairing of headwords with poetic contexts, devoid of typographic or grammatical deviations. Despite the headword’s seamless integration, there is meticulous attention to maintaining rhyming continuity. The rarity of prefaces is counterbalanced by the richness of colophons, which offer vital details about the manuscript. Though the Chagatai language receded over time, the indelible mark left by these dictionaries endures, with remnants identifiable in modern Turkic vocabularies. A more exhaustive comparative exploration of these works could further deepen insights into Chagatai linguistics and lexicographic practices during the medieval period. This study also triggers broader reflections on the pivotal role of bilingual lexicons in safeguarding vulnerable linguistic treasures. By methodically presenting and analyzing these linguistic gems, the investigation facilitates their appreciation within scholarly circles, underscoring the Turkic cultural legacy. This also solidifies their recognition as prime examples of the mutual literary interplay between Turkic and Persian traditions, a relationship rooted in the medieval timeframe.

Semantic Structure of the Word in the Perspective of Interdisciplinary Research

The study is devoted to actual issues of cognitive linguistic and cultural linguistic. Both sciences are sciences of the synthesizing type, and they make it possible to explore a linguistic sign in its deep functions related to the mentality and culture of a particular linguistic community. The object of the research is the commonly used Russian lexeme a head , which is the key sign of the corresponding concept. Its semantic structure, paradigmatic and national-cultural characteristics are established. The novelty of the study lies in the complex of applied methods: vocabulary definition analysis, contextual analysis, introspection method, cognitive interpretation of the results obtained. A culturological commentary is provided. Theoretical value of the study: the synthesizing approach allows us identify the structure and content of the concept, as well as cultural attitudes transmitted by language signs. Applied value: the results of the study can be used in lexicographic practice, as well as in the courses on cognitive linguistics, cultural linguistic, theory of intercultural communication.

Russian and Chinese national personalities: based on the material of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings with the concept of "family"

This article is devoted to the characteristics of Russian and Chinese national personalities based on the material of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings with the concept of "family". The subject of this study is the Russian national personality (RNL) and the Chinese national personality (CNL). The object of the study is the universal and national-specific linguistic and cultural features of Russian and Chinese national personalities. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the lexico-semantic and linguocultural analysis of phraseological units, proverbs and sayings of family subjects can be used in educational activities in courses of lexicology, linguoculturology, linguistic and cultural studies, sociolinguistics. The provisions and conclusions of the study can be applied in lexicographic practice in compiling dictionaries of phraseological units, as well as in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language, spreading Chinese culture in Russia. To solve the problem, the following research methods are used: the method of continuous sampling of material from dictionaries of the Russian and Chinese languages, the method of linguistic and cultural commentary and the comparative-contrastive method. Russian and Chinese national personalities are considered for the first time in the article, which has not previously been described in a comparative aspect, the traditional spiritual and cultural value of the family of Russian and Chinese personalities is analyzed for the first time, their stereotypical ideas and attitudes towards marriage, love, woman, man, wife, husband, parents, children, and relations to relatives are indicated which indicate common or different cultural attitudes among representatives of both linguistic cultures. This is the scientific novelty of this study. The study shows that phraseological units, proverbs and sayings with the concept of family recorded in Russian and Chinese lexicographic sources differ in quantitative and substantive terms. Russian and Chinese personalities view such traditional family values as marriage, love, woman, man, wife, husband, parents, children, relatives, etc. in different ways. For the Chinese, family and kinship relations are of great importance, the preservation of which is carried out with the help of such cultural values as marital harmony, procreation, filial piety, fraternal friendship, peaceful family relations.

Voorlopige kriteria vir wie en wat die leksikograaf is

Proposed Criteria for Being a Lexicographer. There is surprisingly little systematic academic research on who exactly lexicographers are. This issue was identified a decade ago by Rufus Gouws. Gouws (2012) not only investigates the activities of those involved in Lexi­cography, but critically questions the roles of the active participants. Gouws (ibid.) concludes by emphasising that it is imperative to develop unambiguous criteria for who can be called a lexicog­rapher. This article aims to help develop these criteria by placing the work of Gouws under the microscope in the form of a case study with an underlying thematic analysis. Gouws' own contri­butions to the meta- and practical lexicography, as well as to dictionary didactics and pedagogy, attests to his productivity, expertise and relevance. This case study includes a literature review of Gouws' research articles from the last 10 years since the publication of the 2012 article mentioned above. The articles are analysed thematically to deduce the general roles and activities of the lexi­cographer. These roles or activities are discussed incisively, and from this discussion, a set of ten­tative criteria is proposed for who can be called a lexicographer. Keywords: lexicographer, metalexicographer, dictionary maker, edu­cator, linguist, linguistic citizenship, activism

On the conception of proper names and deproprial expressions in the academic dictionary of contemporary Czech

Abstract This paper is a conceptual supplement sui generis, the aim of which is to present a modified treatment of proper names and deproprial expressions in the Academic Dictionary of Contemporary Czech (ADCC). The focus of the study is both a reflection on the past and current lexicographical practice and a discussion of the key issues related to the treatment of the respective lexical subsystem in the dictionary. First, we summarize the basic facts concerning the lexicographic processing of proprial and deproprial lexical units in the field of explanatory lexicography. Second, we provide some more general information about the ADCC and, most importantly, about the macrostructure and microstructure of the dictionary in reference to the topic of the present study. We focus on the inclusion of proprial and deproprial entries in the ADCC and the specific treatment of proper names contained in phrasemes. Special attention is paid to the microstructure of proprial and deproprial entries, as well.

A Lexicographic Practice Map of Europe

Abstract This article presents the combined results of three international surveys that were carried out in the context of the Horizon 2020 European Lexicographic Infrastructure project (ELEXIS). The aim of these surveys was to gain more insight into lexicographic practices and the needs of lexicographers in Europe. The surveys were delivered via online platforms. Based on the combined results, we sketch a map of lexicographic practices in Europe, both for born-digital and retrodigitized resources, analyze current needs in terms of tools, functionalities and training, and identify emerging trends that will affect lexicography in the short and long term.

NOUN STRESS IN UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE: DIACHRONY OF CODIFICATION (BASED ON "THE FIRST READER FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS" BY A. KRUSHELNYTSKYI, O. POPOVYCH, B. LEPKYI (1918))

The article traces the peculiarities of noun stress in "The First Reader for Public Schools" (1918) by A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Popovych, and B. Lepkyi, which has not been the subject of linguistic research. This publication introduces the textbook by the mentioned authors into the academic discourse. The mentioned textbook was used in practice in primary and secondary Ukrainian-language education in western Ukraine during the time of Austria-Hungary. The norm for all levels of language at that time was the "Malorusko-German Dictionary" by E. Zhelekhivskyi and S. Nedielskyi (1886). Based on this lexicographical work, a phonetic orthography, known as "zhelekhivka," was formed, which the Ministry of Education recognized as official for Ukrainian education. The process of standardizing literary stress in the Ukrainian language is still ongoing today. Therefore, analyzing stresses in a school textbook published over a hundred years ago can help shed light on certain accentuation patterns that have evolved over time. Furthermore, the collected empirical material will enable researchers to substantiate the choice of one or another normative stress pattern. During the research process, it was discovered that the primary stress patterns in "The First Reader" align with contemporary normative stress patterns found in various paper and electronic dictionaries. The article also analyzed non-standard stress patterns in current usage. In the stress patterns of first-declension nouns, the authors of "The First Reader" systematically employ dactylic stress, which is a characteristic feature of the Ukrainian language. However, within the framework of the current accentuation norms, this dactylic stress is often considered incorrect in many cases. Some first-declension nouns exhibit stress patterns influenced by dialectal environments and the influence of the Polish and German languages. This is especially relevant when it comes to the stress patterns of borrowed words. In "The First Reader," one can also observe the form-distinguishing and content-distinguishing functions of stress, which differ from contemporary accentuation models. Among the second-declension nouns, stress patterns with an emphasized prefix were identified, which could partially enrich the normative basis of contemporary literary language. Additionally, a group of diminutive nouns with consistently stressed final syllables was identified. "The First Reader" does not feature deviant stress patterns among third and fourth declension nouns. The findings can be used in further scientific research, lexicographic practice, or in the educational process.

MAN AS REFLECTED IN THE ZOOMORPHIC METAPHOR

The article deals with the cognitive essence of zoomorphic metaphor and its national and cultural identity in the Russian language. The study was carried out based on dictionaries and text corpora of the Russian language. The purpose of the article is to analyze the vocabulary material and its textual implementations in order to determine, based on the analysis, which cultural information is not fully reflected in explanatory dictionaries. In the course of the study, it was found that the names of animals, which represent cultural standards in the Russian language, mainly capture negative character traits of people and their appearance. The images of flying birds, on the contrary, capture and describe in a figurative form the positive characteristics of a person. The analysis of dictionary definitions showed that different names of the same animals often have different associative potential in the national-cultural sense. Explanatory dictionaries do not always capture differences in the connotative volume of lexical units. The results of this study can be used in lexicographic practice when creating a complex dictionary, which involves the inclusion of connotative and associative meanings in the interpretation of words. Such dictionaries are necessary both when teaching Russian as a native language and when working with foreign students who study Russian.

Corpus Analysis as a Means of Meaning Disambiguation: Collocational Analysis of Near-Synonyms of the Verb ‘Destroy’

The current paper is aimed at corpus-based differentiation of near-synonymous lexemes with the meaning ‘to destroy’. The research implies a series of consecutive steps: to discuss synonymy-related problems in modern linguistics; to compile a list of near-synonymous lexemes with the meaning ‘to destroy’ by means of Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA); to analyze and compare definitions of the chosen verbs in Merriam-Webster Dictionary (MWD); to generate lists of right-context collocates for each of the verbs in COCA; to put the collocates into semantic clusters and compare the obtained clusters. The list of lexemes under study contains such verbs as ‘destroy’, ‘ruin’, ‘break’, ‘obliterate’, ‘raze’, ‘annihilate’, ‘crush’, ‘devastate’, ‘wreck’, and ‘demolish’. As a result, semantic clusterisation of the right-context collocates helped establish that all verbs of the group collocate with the lexemes representing values and threats where destroying values evokes negative feelings and associations while destroying threats is perceived as a positive action. The verb ‘ruin’ is typically used with the clusters ‘meals and food’, ‘holidays’, ‘leisure activities’, ‘entertainment’ and ‘human relations’, meaning deprivation of enjoyment and happiness. The verb ‘break’ has a wide array of collocates resulting in a variety of conventionalized expressions. The results of the corpus-based research of lexical semantics may be helpful to those professionally engaged in second language teaching as well as in translation and lexicographic practice.

Hand in Hand or Separate Ways: Navigation Devices and Nesting of Metonymic BODY PART Multiword Expressions in Monolingual English Learners’ Dictionaries

Abstract Despite a long history of research into phraseology and its practical applications, the representation of multiword expressions (henceforth MWEs) in dictionaries still remains unsettled. The paper singles out and investigates the lexicographic treatment of one thematically related group of MWEs, those that contain nominal forms of body part names. Body part MWEs have been chosen for the present study because they constitute a fairly homogenous group, as many of them are related by means of metonymic motivation, and are therefore expected to be treated in a fairly consistent way. The study examines and evaluates the representation of body part MWE in monolingual English learners’ dictionaries online from the perspective of cognitive linguistics. It focuses primarily on the arrangement of semantically related MWEs in the dictionary microstructure, and attention is also paid to navigation devices used to nest metonymically motivated body part MWEs. The paper proposes solutions that could be adopted in lexicographic practice so that semantic links between related body part MWEs become more apparent in the entry structure.

Paroemiographic interpretation of proverbs and sayings corpus on the material of different structural languages

Within the current linguistics paradigm there is a high interest in studying proverbial collections of different ethnic groups. Paroemiographic collections serve as an informative resource for linguistic studies. Along with this, it is necessary to pay attention to the issues of paroemiography. The theoretical bases of this area of lexicography have already found practice in compiling various types of proverbial dictionaries. The article presents an overview of some dictionaries of Russian and English proverbs and sayings. The authors considered the lexicographic principles used in the compilation of the studied sources of proverbs and sayings. The article provides a comparative analysis of the representation and description of proverbs and sayings in such collections. In addition to distinctive features, the obtained results revealed a general trend in the arrangement and description approaches of paroemias in the considered dictionaries. Studying the concepts applied in the presentation, comparison, meaning interpretations, illustrative examples of usage and origin of the proverbial units in lexicographic practice determine the outlooks in the compilation of new dictionary publications and further cross-cultural linguistic research in contemporary paroemiography.