Compiling a dictionary of an unwritten language: a non-corpus-based approach

Abstract

In this article an account is given of the experience in fieldwork by the Dictionary of the Flemish Dialects (Woordenboek van de Vlaamse Dialecten, WVD), Ghent University, Belgium. The focus is on the practical aspects with regard to methods of lexicographic fieldwork. It is main-tained that the analysis of 'metalinguistical conversations' with groups of respondents in which their lexicographic competence is explored, is a suitable way of collecting lexicographic data. Field-work by correspondence (questionnaires) can amplify and verify the data collected through inter-views.

Keywords: lexicography, unwritten language, dialect, regional dic-tionary, fieldwork, general vocabulary, dutch, southern dutch, flem-ish, brabant dialect, limburg dialect, the netherlands, belgium, systema-tic arrangement, methodology, questionnaire, interview, word atlas, language variation