What is it about?
Since there are over 10,000 bird species throughout the world, the names (ornithonyms) covering this diversity are legion. Lexicographers must make choices about which names to include and which to leave out. This article discusses a range of selection criteria, examining past dictionaries and making suggestions for future practice.
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Why is it important?
The research in the article indicates that the lexicographers of the dictionaries examined have not been systematic in the way they select which bird names for inclusion in their dictionaries. The implication of this is that this is a general trend in lexicography as a whole, not only for bird names, but for flora and fauna terms in general, and indeed for other areas of unfamiliar lexis. However, the article suggests a set of criteria that will be of use to future lexicographers.
Perspectives
My own deep interest in and wide knowledge of birdlife and the complexities involved in the naming of birds (including folk names, 'official' common names, and scientific names) was the motivation behind this research.
Dr James Lambert
National Institute of Education
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Ornithonymy and Lexicographical Selection Criteria, International Journal of Lexicography, February 2016, Oxford University Press (OUP),
DOI: 10.1093/ijl/ecv046.
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