REDEFINING THE DICTIONARY

Lexicography is considered a topic limited to the hallowed halls of learning; it is considered a scholarly discipline. A dictionary provides a description of the language in general use. English lexicographers study and record uses of language,  analyze a  corpus of language for evidence. They consider both the meaning and usages of words and compile definitions in a structured manner. Not many of us think of compiling a dictionary, nor do we  pause to consider what is expected of a dictionary. For many of us it is a bound book and for the Gen Y or Z it is a soft copy,  the format more or less  remaining the same; our expectations that it shows the way to meanings like the traffic constable remain the same. But just as the entire world has been transformed with digitalization, the dictionary is also poised for a metamorphosis. Against this background this paper seeks to identify what exactly the role of a lexicographer is, in the current world ruled by technology.  Is it merely to direct traffic to the words or can we expand the boundaries going beyond? How can digital technologies  be used to enrich the format of a dictionary and enhance its function  of mapping  the words? This paper proposes to deal with these questions.