Språkstadieordböcker nu och då

Abstract

Period dictionaries past and present. This paper deals with the typological distinction of
synchrony and diachrony in period dictionaries, particularly K.F. Söderwall's Ordbok öfver
svenska medeltidsspråket (Sdw) (1884-1918). First of all the established definitions of the
lexicographic terms synchronic and diachronic are given. Then follows an argument for a different
set of concepts regarding the descriptive methods in period dictionaries: either describing the
language as a system or focusing on the changes it undergoes (essentially regardless of the length
of the period). These concepts are also – with some hesitation – labelled as synchrony and
diachrony respectively. In order to concretise these concepts, different synchronic and diachronic
descriptive methods applicable to different information categories in period dictionaries are
presented. Finally, an article in Sdw is briefly discussed. This article does not strongly
demonstrate the use of either a synchronic or a diachronic descriptive method.