1. What is the difference between the linguistic and encyclopaedic dictionaries?
     2. What are the characteristics of encylopaedic information?
     3. What is linguistic information?

B. State whether the following statements are true or false:

     1. Encylopaedia does not have the arrangements of words as entries. [True/False]
     2. Encylopaedia has similarities to monolingual dictionaries. [True/False]
     3. The division of dictionaries into encyclopaedic and linguistic ones is not necessarily an 'either-or'          matter. [True/False]

C. Identify the right answers:

     1. Encyclopaedia deals primarily with ________ information.
          a) linguistic b) extra-linguistic c) scientific d) grammatical

     2. Linguistic dictionaries can also have encyclopaedic characteristics because ______________
          a) of the nature of the linguistic dictionary.
          b) The compiler wants to give it certain character.
          c) Of the size of the dictionary.
          d) It should serve all the purposes of the users.

     3. The division of the dictionaries into linguistic and encyclopaedic ones is based on ___________
          a) the size of the dictionary.
          b) The nature of information
          c) Needs of the users
          d) Functions and the meaning of the words.

     This is one of the important divisions in linguistic dictionaries.

     Languages tend to change. As such, the linguistic information can be presented in a linguistic dictionary in two ways: (a) information that belongs to one point of time and (b) information pertaining to the change that takes place over a period of time. The former is called a synchronic dictionary and the latter a diachronic dictionary. Recall a difference between a theoretical dictionary (lexicon) and a practical dictionary (413.3.2.1). As in the case of an individual speaker the lexicon of a linguistic community also changes in the process of language-change. Diachronic dictionary deals with the development of the lexicon, and the synchronic dictionary deals with the lexical stock of a language at one stage of its development.

     Synchronic dictionary, as stated earlier, deals with the information that belongs to one point of time. In this context Zgusta brings in two points by way of explanation for the term 'synchronic'

1. "The Concept synchronic is not synonymous with 'contemporary'" (Zgusta 1971: 202).

     It stands for any given point of time in the development of language. For example, "Grassman's Dictionary of the Rig Vedic Sanskrit is a synchronic dictionary though the language it deals with is certainly not a contemporary one"(Zgusta 1971:202). Aandhra Mahaabhaarata Nighantuvu (Suryanarayana 1979), the dictionary deals with the language of Andhra Mahaabhaarata which was written during 11th and 12th centuries A.D.

2. "It is impossible to interpret for practical linguistic and lexicographic purposes, the term synchronic as if we were concerned with the state of a language at one point of time" (Zgusta 1971: 202). Nobody can make a full, detailed investigation of a language in one day or in one week or in one month. Therefore, for practical purposes, 'point of time' should be taken as a given 'period of time'. Consider the above two dictionaries mentioned in the earlier paragraphs. The Rig Veda was composed not just in one day, nor Aandhra Mahaabhaarata. These texts were composed over a period of time. For the purpose of the synchronic dictionary it would be imagined that the language for which the dictionary is made belongs to one point of time.

     Diachronic dictionary is primarily concerned with the history and the development of words in terms of their form and meaning. In old Telugu some words in terms of their form and meaning. In old Telugu some words had initial consonant clusters, such as kotta 'new' tippu 'to rotate' etc. These words in modern Telugu dropped their initial consonant clusters and became kotta and tippu etc. This is a change in form. In old Telugu the word ciira meant a 'cloth' used for wearing. In modern Telugu, without any change in form, it means a 'saree', used only by women. This is a change in meaning.

     Diachronic dictionary is of two types, viz. historical dictionary and etymological dictionary.

     Historical dictionary focuses its attention on the changes occurring in the form and meaning of the words within the period of time for which recorded evidences are available. Therefore, it can be said that the historical dictionary draws its data from the written records of the language, which include books, inscriptions, etc. in that language. In other words, the historical dictionary presents, as per the records available in the language, the history of the words: when a particular word occurred first, in which meaning, what are the subsequent changes, if any in the form and meaning of the word over the years till the day of its (the dictionary's) compilation. For this purpose the lexicographer traces the first occurrence of each word in the literature and inscriptions of the language, and compares the same with the subsequent occurrences. This is, in fact, a stupendous task involving enormous work which includes analyzing a large amount of data.

     The Oxford English Dictionary is classic example of a complete historical dictionary. It deals with all the periods of the history of the English language. This was published between 1884-1928 in 125 parts.