Dictionary society of north america
Encyclopedia
The Dictionary Society of North America (DSNA) was founded in 1975 to encourage scholarly and professional activities that have to do with dictionaries and lexicography
. Since 1994 DSNA has been a member of the American Council of Learned Societies
.
The society, one of the largest professional associations for dictionary-makers, has more than 400 members, and sponsors a biennial conference for the presentation of scholarly papers on aspects of lexicographical history, theory, and practice. It also publishes an annual journal of dictionary scholarship, Dictionaries (founded in 1979), and a semiannual newsletter. Copies of the newsletter and tables of contents of the journal are archived at the society's web page, which also provides news about dictionaries and membership and conference information.
Distinguished former members of the society include, among others, Frederick G. Cassidy (1907–2000), editor of the Dictionary of American Regional English
; the etymologist Allen Walker Read
(1906–2002); the lexicographer Laurence Urdang
(1927–2008); and the linguist Ladislav Zgusta
(1924–2004).
From 1995 until 2008 the society made an annual award underwritten by Laurence Urdang, to support promising lexicographical research projects. Two awards for 2009 were conferred in his memory.
Lexicography
Lexicography is divided into two related disciplines:*Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries....
. Since 1994 DSNA has been a member of the American Council of Learned Societies
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
.
The society, one of the largest professional associations for dictionary-makers, has more than 400 members, and sponsors a biennial conference for the presentation of scholarly papers on aspects of lexicographical history, theory, and practice. It also publishes an annual journal of dictionary scholarship, Dictionaries (founded in 1979), and a semiannual newsletter. Copies of the newsletter and tables of contents of the journal are archived at the society's web page, which also provides news about dictionaries and membership and conference information.
Distinguished former members of the society include, among others, Frederick G. Cassidy (1907–2000), editor of the Dictionary of American Regional English
Dictionary of American Regional English
The Dictionary of American Regional English is a record of American English as spoken in the United States, from its beginning up to the present...
; the etymologist Allen Walker Read
Allen Walker Read
Allen Walker Read was an American etymologist and lexicographer, best known for his studies into the words "okay" and "fuck."...
(1906–2002); the lexicographer Laurence Urdang
Laurence Urdang
Laurence Urdang was a lexicographer, editor and author noted for first computerising the unabridged Random House Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1966. He was also the founding editor of Verbatim, a quarterly newsletter on language.Urdang was born in Manhattan and graduated from...
(1927–2008); and the linguist Ladislav Zgusta
Ladislav Zgusta
Ladislav Zgusta was a Czech–American historical linguist and lexicographer, who wrote one of the first textbooks on lexicography. He was a professor of linguistics and classics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dutch lexicographer Piet van Sterkenburg referred to Zgusta as...
(1924–2004).
From 1995 until 2008 the society made an annual award underwritten by Laurence Urdang, to support promising lexicographical research projects. Two awards for 2009 were conferred in his memory.