Language for specific purposes dictionary

A language for specific purposes dictionary is a dictionary that intends to describe a variety of one or more languages used by experts within a particular subject field. The discipline that deals with LSP dictionaries is usually called specialised lexicography and is a branch of lexicography.

LSP dictionaries and users

As described in Bergenholtz/Tarp 1995, LSP dictionaries are often made for users who are already specialists with a subject field (experts), but may also be made for semi-experts and for users who may be laypeople relative to a particular subject field. In contrast to LSP dictionaries, LGP (language for general purposes) dictionaries are made to be used by an average user. LSP dictionaries may have one or more functions. LSP dictionaries may have communicative functions such as help users to translate texts, help users to understand texts and help users to produce texts. Dictionaries may also have cognitive functions such as help users to develop knowledge in general or about a specific topic, such as the birthday of a famous person and the inflectional paradigm of a specific verb.

Different types of LSP dictionary

According to Nielsen 1994, LSP dictionaries may cover one language (monolingual LSP dictionaries) or two languages (bilingual LSP dictionaries), and occasionally more languages. An LSP dictionary that attempts to cover as much of the vocabulary in a subject field as possible is called a maximizing dictionary, and an LSP dictionary that attempts to cover a limited number of terms within a subject field is called a minimizing dictionary.

Also, Nielsen 1994 distinguishes between the following types of dictionaries: An LSP dictionary that covers more than one subject field is called a multi-field dictionary, an LSP dictionary that covers one subject field (e.g. a dictionary of law) is called a single-field dictionary, and an LSP dictionary that covers part of a subject field (e.g. a dictionary of contract law) is called a sub-field dictionary.

Relevant literature

Sandro Nielsen (1994): The Bilingual LSP Dictionary, Gunter Narr Verlag.
Henning Bergenholtz/Sven Tarp (eds.) (1995): Manual of Specialised Lexicography, Benjamins.
Sandro Nielsen (2010): Specialised Translation Dictionaries for Learners. In: P. A. Fuertes-Olivera (ed.): Specialised Dictionaries for Learners, de Gruyter (Lexicographica. Series Maior 136), 69-82.

External links

Lexicography

Types of reference works	Dictionary Glossary Lexicon Phrase book Thesaurus

Types of dictionaries	Advanced learner's Anagram Bilingual Biographical Conceptual Defining Electronic Encyclopedic Etymological Explanatory Grammatical Idiom Language for specific purposes dictionary Machine-readable Maximizing Medical Minimizing Monolingual learner's Multi-field Phonetic Picture Pronouncing Reverse Rhyming Rime Single-field Specialized Spelling Sub-field Visual Word formation dictionary

Lexicographic projects	Lexigraf WordNet

Other	List of lexicographers List of online dictionaries

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