EVOLUTION OF RUSSIAN NAVAL LEXICOGRAPHY: FROM MULTILINGUAL TO BILINGUAL DICTIONARIES

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of naval dictionaries created in Russia in the 18th–20th centuries, with an emphasis on the number of languages involved and the thematic scope. The multilingual character of these dictionaries can be explained by a range of reasons. Some of them are created on the basis of existing foreign dictionaries translated into Russian; others are the result of interest to collecting linguistic facts in different languages; the authors can also be motivated by the lack of available lexicographic resources in minor languages. 20th century dictionaries are bilingual, with a narrower thematic specialization and focus on specific professional purposes. This development corresponds to the requirements for lexicographic resources and recommendations for lexicographers formulated by V. P. Berkov. These dictionaries are mostly English-Russian ones as English is historically associated with Russian marine science and it is also the language of international maritime communication.