Lexicographical storing: a key lexicographical task in the era of the internet / Lexikographische Speicherung: Eine zentrale Aufgabe der Lexikographie im Internet-Zeitalter / Stockage de données en lexicographie: una tâche centrale de la lexicographie à l’ère d’internet

Abstract

A user-driven approach in lexicography - e.g. the function theory of lexicography (Bergenholtz & Tarp 2002, 2003, 2004; Fuertes-Olivera & Tarp 2014; Tarp 2008) - compels lexicographers to use all possible means at their disposal to improve the quality of dictionary use and to ensure an optimal retrieval of information from the lexicographical data. For instance, the advent of the internet has substantially modified the design and compilation of dictionaries in two ways. First, online dictionaries are dynamic tools, which makes them more suitable for meeting user needs in different user situations. Second, thinking in terms of static lexicographic structures is erroneous as these are ill-suited for benefiting from existing and potential internet technologies, for complying with the tenets of the user needs paradigm, and for analysing the merits of lexicographical tasks such as lexicographical storing.This article follows Bergenholtz & Agerbo’s concept of lexicographical structuring, which supports the main tenets of the user needs paradigm and the necessity of analysing the process of storing lexicographical data in a lexicographical database. This analysis supports my belief that lexicographical storing is a new lexicographical task which must be better understood, especially when working with the large amount of data being stored in lexicographical databases such as the one on which we are currently compiling the UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID INTERNET DICTIONARIES OF SPANISH.