Usage labels network: an approach to lexical variation

Abstract

The Problem of lexical variation is frequently addressed within the linguistic community. Its complexity and the broad implications of any possible solution have considerable appeal among theoretical linguists. Lexicographers, in their turn, have been forced to address it in order to provide dictionary usage information, which is normally done by means of dictionary labels such as: American English, obsolete, slang , etc. An insightful overview of the relevant lexicological approaches, as well as some lexicographis projects is provided in Lipka (1990). The most exhaustive sociolinguistic classification, however, can be found in Preston (1986). Lexicographis treatments of lexical variation have been addressed in numerous papers listed in Zgusta (1988).