Review of : Carolin Ostermann, 2015, Cognitive Lexicography. A New Approach to Lexicography Making Use of Cognitive Semantics [Lexicographica. Series Mayor 149], Berlin/Boston, Walter De Gruyter. In RESLA, Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2017/1, pp. 1-12.

Review of : Carolin Ostermann, Cognitive Lexicography. A new approach to lexicography making use of cognitive semantics. (Lexicographica. Series Maior, 149) Berlin/Boston: Walter De Gruyter, 2015, xi + 380 pages, ISBN 978-3-11-042744 8 (HBK); e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-042416-4; e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-042428-7. The author of this book provides a positive answer to the long-debated question whether or not lexicographers need to know about linguistics (among others, Rundell, 2012). In the same way as lexicography is seen by some as ‘art and craft’ (Landau, 2001), and the ‘poor relation’ of lexicology (Lipka,1995, p. 381), there are arguments—also hard-line—against the potential contributions of linguistics to lexicography (for one, Wierzbicka, 1985, p. 5). Without going all the way to endorsing a theory of lexicography (e.g., Tarp, 2008), arguments on the other side take a positive view of the relationship between linguistics and lexicography. In this context, this book takes as its starting point the premise that lexicography can benefit greatly from neighboring disciplines in linguistics and, more specifically, from Cognitive Linguistics and Cognitive Semantics. This is Cognitive Lexicography. With the title of Chapter 1, it represents “A new approach to lexicography,” in the sense that the full potential of this approach has not been explored yet. With works such as Kövecses and Csábi (2014) and Xu (2015), the author clearly reflects the main developments in applications of cognitive linguistics to lexicography. Whereas the suggested methodology can accommodate new features, it is also hoped that further research takes suggestions on cross-referencing between entries to a further stage, which envisages tailoring dictionary macro-structure and arranging entries and meanings according to the needs of individual users. This may enhance vocabulary learning by focusing on the systematicity of language. To give one example, Kövecses and Csábi (2014, pp. 136-137) point out that “a simply alphabetically arranged dictionary may become a systematically arranged group of entries at a click, if it is made possible that, for instance, we can select words and expressions that describe ANGER or LOVE, in order to see what source domains these use, or words and expressions that contain the word fire in order to see what target domains there may be.” In short, Cognitive Lexicography in the electronic age can adapt dictionaries and dictionary entries specific user needs, goals and profiles, thus playing a major part in making so-called ʽlexicographersʼ dreamsʼ (de Schryver 2003) come true.