History in Lexicography and Lexicography in History: A Reappraisal

This paper aims to provide an overview of anglophone literature on historical lexicography. It begins by defining history and lexicography in order to explore possible relationships between them. What follows is a critical discussion of two analytical perspectives: "history in lexicography" and "lexicography in history." The former seeks to explain what historical information is, how history has permeated dictionaries, particularly those compiled on historical principles, and why the historical dictionary needs to be re-interpreted along new lines. The latter, by contrast, attempts to identify the main elements involved in the writing of a history of lexicography. Since no historical account may be regarded as complete, further research is essential; it provides an opportunity to shed light on the dictionaries that have long been neglected, correct previous errors of judgment, and propose a new reading of the factors behind dictionary-making practices.