Abstract
The history of specialised dictionaries in Denmark can be traced back several hundred years. In the 1500s, LSP dictionaries dealt with subjects such as religion and law, followed by dictionaries of subjects within the natural sciences. Then came a period when the focus was on dictionaries treating liberal and professional areas such as music, business and technical subjects. The number of LSP dictionaries increased at a slow but steady pace until the early 1900s when the pace went up and from around 1970 the number of new LSP dictionaries increased significantly. This indicates that lexicography has been present in Denmark for many years, but not until the last part of the 20th century did lexicographers start to seriously consider the principles and practices behind the compilation of dictionaries and treat lexicography as an academic discipline.
During the past two decades, the number of “large” publishing houses has decreased. Most of them have been bought by the major actors, who have a considerable share of the market. However, the advances in information technology have lead to many small companies publishing LSP dictionaries available online even though publishing is not their core business. This also reflects the trend of making printed dictionaries available in electronic form either on CD-ROMs or on the Internet. The traditional publishers offer most of their LSP dictionaries in electronic form on a subscription basis and new actors, such as IT companies have entered the scene, not as publishers in the strict sense but at providers of online dictionaries.
At present, theoretical LSP lexicography has a solid foundation in Denmark. This does not mean that all LSP dictionaries are prepared according to the latest theoretical principles, as many dictionaries are still influenced by the printed-dictionary tradition. However, new and interesting projects have seen the light of day. They try to take advantage of new technological advances that show novel ways of making knowledge available and try to satisfy potential user needs in new ways.
During the past two decades, the number of “large” publishing houses has decreased. Most of them have been bought by the major actors, who have a considerable share of the market. However, the advances in information technology have lead to many small companies publishing LSP dictionaries available online even though publishing is not their core business. This also reflects the trend of making printed dictionaries available in electronic form either on CD-ROMs or on the Internet. The traditional publishers offer most of their LSP dictionaries in electronic form on a subscription basis and new actors, such as IT companies have entered the scene, not as publishers in the strict sense but at providers of online dictionaries.
At present, theoretical LSP lexicography has a solid foundation in Denmark. This does not mean that all LSP dictionaries are prepared according to the latest theoretical principles, as many dictionaries are still influenced by the printed-dictionary tradition. However, new and interesting projects have seen the light of day. They try to take advantage of new technological advances that show novel ways of making knowledge available and try to satisfy potential user needs in new ways.
| Translated title of the contribution | Dansk leksikografi med særlig henblik på fagordbøger |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Title of host publication | Multi-disciplinary Lexicography: Traditions and Challenges of the XXIst Century |
| Editors | Olga Karpova |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Place of publication | Ivanovo |
| Publisher | Ivanovo State University |
| Publication date | 2011 |
| Pages | 24-25 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-5-7807-9912-1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
| Event | IXth International School of Lexicography - Ivanovo, Russian Federation Duration: 8 Sept 2011 → 10 Sept 2011 |
Conference
| Conference | IXth International School of Lexicography |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Russian Federation |
| City | Ivanovo |
| Period | 08/09/2011 → 10/09/2011 |