In the trenches of lemma choice in immigrant dictionaries

Abstract

Immigrant dictionaries can be viewed as a subtype of learner’s dictionaries tailored to the needs of immigrants and refugees. As in learner lexicography more generally, they must provide access not only to linguistic information but also to cultural knowledge that facilitates language learning and integration into the target society. In such dictionaries, cultural information is conveyed not only through explanatory components of entries and supplementary sections, but also through the selection of the lemmata themselves. Early Slovenian–English dictionaries produced in the United States were intended to assist Slovenian immigrants in navigating a new linguistic and cultural environment. This article examines whether such works can be regarded as immigrant dictionaries in terms of their lemma selection and their inclusion of culturally relevant vocabulary. Focusing on four dictionaries published between 1904 and 1919, the study analyzes the English and Slovenian lemma lists and compares selected segments of entries in order to identify patterns of selection and possible influences from earlier bilingual lexicographic sources. Particular attention is paid to the extent to which the target dictionaries include lexical material reflecting aspects of everyday life and cultural practices relevant to Slovenian immigrants in the United States. The analysis shows that the dictionaries differ considerably in how effectively they address the needs of their users. While some works display a clear awareness of the cultural context of immigrant life, others rely more heavily on lemma lists that appear to be inherited and not fully adapted to their users’ context. The findings contribute to an understanding of the early development of immigrant-oriented lexicography; the findings also address how lemma selection contributes to the overall usefulness of bilingual dictionaries for migrant communities.