lexicon

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kɑn/; /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən/, /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kɒn/ (UK); /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən/, /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kɒn/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin lexicon, possibly through Middle French lexicon,^[2][3][4] from Ancient Greek λεξικόν (lexikón, “wordbook”), short for λεξικὸν βιβλίον (lexikòn biblíon, “word book”),^[5][2][3][6] the neuter of λεξικός (lexikós, “of words”),^[5][2][3][7] from λέξις (léxis, “word, phrase, speech”),^[5][2][3][7] from λέγειν (légein, “to speak, say”),^[5][2][3][7] from Proto-Indo-European *leg- (“to collect, gather”).^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A wordbook or dictionary, chiefly of Greek, Hebrew, Syriac or Arabic (1580 in Merriam-Webster; 1603 in the OED and Barnhart; about 1600 in Etymonline).^[7][8][2][3]

Semantic evolution

Weekley calls it a Renaissance word.^[9] It was used especially of dictionaries of Greek, Syriac, Hebrew or Arabic, because these were usually written in Latin, and in Latin lexicon was the usual word for them.^[3][8] Figuratively it came to mean the vocabulary proper to a field, a group or a person,^[8][7][10] and since 1647 a list of words or names.^[8] In linguistics it is the complete set of meaningful units or morphemes in a language (1933).^[8][5][7]

Timeline

• 1580 – first date in Merriam-Webster.^[7]
• 1603 – a dictionary.^[8][2]
• 1647 – a list of words or names.^[8]
• 1836 – lexical.^[2]
• 1933 – in linguistics.^[8]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A dictionary, especially one of an ancient language such as Greek or Hebrew.
2. The vocabulary of a language, a person, a group or a subject.
3. (linguistics) The total stock of morphemes of a language.
4. An inventory or repertoire.

Related words

• lexical
• lexicography
• lexicology
• lexis
• dictionary
• legend
• glossary

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
6. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
7. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Weekley, Ernest (1921), An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, London: John Murray
10. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House