Ord, samfunn og ordbok

Resumé

Changes in society are reflected in the vocabulary (examples are given from
Norwegian). New meanings, contrasts and patterns emerge and replace older ones.
Dictionaries contribute to an extended synonymy. But they have so far been unable to
register, and much less explain, the floating mass of nonlexicalized, but often quite
difficult compounds that abound in the everyday language of newspapers and
magazines. To create "lexicographical portraits" of words one needs a) a very large
word base and b) unlimited storage space, both of which point towards the electronic
dictionary.