History & Words: ‘Lexicography’ (20 February)
Welcome to ‘History & Words’! ๐ Main hoon Prashant, Wordpandit aur Learning Inc. Network ka founder. Yeh series language learning aur historical context ko connect karti hai, taaki vocabulary bhi improve ho aur history ki samajh bhi badhe.
Chaliye, shabdon ki iss journey par mere saath chaliye aur naye naye words explore karte hain! ๐
๐ Table of Contents
๐ Word of the Day: Lexicography
Pronunciation: /หlษksษชหkษษกrษfi/ (lek-si-KOG-ruh-fee)
๐ Parichay (Introduction)
20 February 1725 ko Samuel Johnson ka janm Lichfield, England me hua, jo history ke most influential lexicographers me se ek bane.
Unki famous “Dictionary of the English Language” (1755) ne language documentation aur dictionary-making ko revolutionize kar diya.
“Lexicography” sirf dictionary likhne ka kaam nahi, balki ek systematic study hai jo words ke meaning, usage aur evolution ko deeply samajhne ki koshish karti hai.
Aaj bhi, language ka preservation, understanding aur transmission lexicography ka ek bada role hai.
๐ฑ Shabd ka Utpatti (Etymology)
“Lexicography” Greek words “lexis” (word ya speech) aur “graphia” (writing ya documentation) se aaya hai.
- 17th century me yeh word officially use hone laga, jab dictionary-making ek organized aur scholarly activity bani.
- Lekin actual lexicography ki history ancient civilizations tak jaati hai, jisme clay tablets aur glossaries likhi jati thi.
Aaj bhi yeh field constantly evolve ho rahi hai, aur digital dictionaries aur AI-driven language analysis iska latest phase hai.
๐ Mahatvapurn Shabdavali (Key Vocabulary)
- ๐ Lemma: Ek word ka standard dictionary form, jaise verbs ka infinitive aur nouns ka singular form.
- ๐ Corpus: Ek large collection of texts jo words ka usage aur meaning samajhne ke liye use hoti hai.
- ๐ Polysemy: Jab ek word ke multiple meanings hote hain, aur lexicographers unka proper distinction define karte hain.
- ๐ Etymology: Words ka origin aur evolution study karne ka process.
๐๏ธ Itihasik Sandarbh (Historical Context)
Lexicography ka concept purana hai, aur iska evolution time ke saath improve hota gaya:
- 2300 BCE: Mesopotamia me earliest bilingual word lists likhi gayi.
- Medieval Europe: Glossaries develop hui jo difficult aur foreign words explain karti thi.
- Renaissance: Monolingual dictionaries popular hone lagi, jo national languages ko document karne ka ek tareeka bana.
Samuel Johnson ki dictionary English lexicography ke liye ek major breakthrough bani, jo aage chalke Oxford English Dictionary aur Websterโs Dictionary jaise projects ko influence karti hai.
โณ Samayrekha (Timeline)
- 2300 BCE: Mesopotamia me sabse purani word lists likhi gayi.
- 1225: First English-French glossary publish hua.
- 1604: Robert Cawdrey ne pehla English dictionary publish kiya.
- 1725: Samuel Johnson ka janm hota hai.
- 1755: Johnson ki “Dictionary of the English Language” publish hoti hai.
- 1828: Noah Webster apna “American Dictionary of the English Language” introduce karte hain.
- 1857: Oxford English Dictionary ka kaam shuru hota hai.
- 1884: OED ka first fascicle publish hota hai.
- 1928: Pehla complete Oxford English Dictionary release hota hai.
- 1961: Websterโs Third New International Dictionary aata hai.
๐ Is Din ka Mahatva (The Dayโs Significance)
20 February 1725 ka din lexicography ki history me ek major milestone hai.
- Johnson ki dictionary ne accuracy aur comprehensiveness ke naye standards set kiye.
- Unhone illustrative quotations ka use kiya taaki words ke proper context samjhe ja sakein.
- Unki dictionary ne English spelling aur standardization me ek major role play kiya.
Yeh sirf ek dictionary nahi thi, balki ek linguistic research ka masterpiece tha, jisme language ke evolution ko document kiya gaya.
๐ฎ Aaj Ka Matlab aur Chintan (Modern Usage & Reflection)
Aaj lexicography sirf books aur printed dictionaries tak limited nahi, balki digital aur AI-based research me bhi involve hai:
- Oxford aur Cambridge jaise dictionaries AI aur machine learning ka use karke naye words aur language trends track karte hain.
- Google aur Merriam-Webster ke online dictionaries crowdsourced aur real-time data se update hote hain.
- Speech recognition aur natural language processing (NLP) me bhi lexicography ka important role hai.
Aaj lexicography ka focus prescriptive se descriptive approach me shift ho gaya haiโiska matlab ab hum language ko control karne ki jagah uska natural evolution document kar rahe hain.
๐๏ธ Virast (Legacy)
Lexicography ka impact sirf dictionaries tak limited nahi hai:
- Education aur language standardization me iska major role hai.
- Cross-cultural communication aur translation studies me bhi lexicography ka use hota hai.
- Modern lexicography ne internet aur AI tools ke zariye language learning ko aur accessible bana diya hai.
Yeh field language ke cultural aur historical documentation ka ek essential part hai.
๐ Tulnatmak Vishleshan (Comparative Analysis)
- Pehle: Dictionaries words ko define karne aur standardize karne ke liye use hoti thi.
- Aaj: Dictionaries word meanings ke saath pronunciation, etymology, aur usage examples bhi provide karti hain.
- Future: AI aur NLP ke saath dictionaries aur bhi interactive aur personalized ho jayengi.
๐ก Kya Aapko Pata Hai? (Did You Know?)
๐ Antim Vichar (Conclusion)
Lexicography language documentation aur evolution ka ek fundamental tool hai.
Samuel Johnson ka kaam language ke study ko ek scientific aur systematic direction deta hai, jo aaj bhi relevant hai.
Aaj lexicography AI, internet aur modern linguistic tools ke saath aur bhi powerful ban chuki hai, jo hume language ko aur better samajhne aur develop karne me madad karti hai.
๐ Aage Padhne Ke Liye (Further Reading)
- ๐ “The Story of Webster’s Third: Philip Gove’s Controversial Dictionary and Its Critics” โ Herbert C. Morton
- ๐ “Defining the World: The Extraordinary Story of Dr Johnson’s Dictionary” โ Henry Hitchings
- ๐ “The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary” โ Simon Winchester
