English Lexicography and it`s types

Abstract

This research addresses the study of English lexicography, which began with the spread of Latin Christianity in Britain in the late sixth century AD. In the eighth century, the first comprehensive English dictionaries appeared. Since then, English lexicography has evolved and split into two main branches: theoretical lexicography, which focuses on the study and organization of dictionaries, and practical lexicography, which represents the scientific application of theoretical principles.

The development of dictionaries among the English led to a diversification into general and specialized dictionaries. Among the most important specialized English dictionaries are the Longman Dictionaries, which vary according to their intended purposes and have gone through multiple editions. What distinguishes these dictionaries most is their methodology, which includes the use of controlled vocabulary lists for lexical definitions aimed at teaching English to non-native speakers.

These lists rely on the interrelated semantic relationships between words to provide concise definitions. This approach is closely linked to the concept of the Atomic Globule Faith of Meaning, which explains why certain words overlap semantically. For example, a group of words like mother, mare, and waitress can be seen as semantically related through a core component: the word female.

It is believed that the adoption of the atomic globule view of meaning aligns with how the world appears to function. In chemistry, for instance, substances can be broken down into more basic elements. For this reason, some scholars have suggested parallels between the decomposition of chemical structures and the breakdown of words.