From the megastructure to the mediostructure: the theory of lexicographic functions applied to sociological dictionaries

Abstract

This interdisciplinary research draws on both lexicographic theory and sociological theory. Sociological dictionaries have been little researched, despite their usefulness for students and practitioners of sociology as well as for translation professionals. Based on the theory of lexicographical functions, developed by members of the Aarhus School of Lexicography, we have studied structural aspects, such as megastructure, macrostructure and mediostructure, of eleven dictionaries located in the catalogues of the CSIC, the University of Cordoba and the National Library of Spain. The data obtained suggest that the structural features are confusing and heterogeneous, thus proving to be an obstacle to the use of the resource by the user. This suggests that the absence of lexicography professionals in the elaboration of dictionaries specialised in sociology has negative consequences for the user, who may not be able to solve his query.

The analysis, carried out from the perspective of the theory of lexicographic functions, has focused on the structural aspects of dictionaries, where the megastructure, the macrostructure and the midstructure of the entries have been considered. By doing so, it has been possible to conclude that the absence of professional lexicographers has a series of consequences for the user, who is confronted with structures which are not very intuitive, and which may not resolve his or her specific queries.