Theoretical linguistic principles in the A Latin Dictionary and The Oxford Latin Dictionary: some considerations on the lexicographical article gaudeo and other state verbs

Abstract

This study is done on the entry lemma gaudeo as it appears in A Latin Dictionary and the Oxford Latin Dictionary, as well as a comparison with other verbal lemmas associated with the semantic field to express feelings (paveo, doleo, timeo, horreo and palleo). They provide enough data to state that, in order to compile this entry, the editors were, somehow, influenced by the historical and compared linguistic theoretical principles and by structuralism. This paper has a qualitative and quantitative methodological perspective, complements other scientific studies whose purpose were to demonstrate the differences and errors made in the composition of lexicographical entries of these dictionaries and provides with theoretical arguments that justify the decisions made by the editors of the lexicons.