Definition in Theory and Practice: Language, Lexicography and the Law

摘要

Despite the title, this book is not just for linguists, lexicographers and lawyers. Roy Harris has steamed up with University of Hong Kong Professor of English Christopher Hutton to produce a book that is as interesting and relevant to LIS as Harris' earlier books. Anyone interested in the problems of meaning and context in information retrieval and especially those focussing on the construction and use of thesauri, ontologies and the dream of the "semantic web" will find much thought for food here. The problem of reference (in the philosophical and lexicographical sense) is central to the authors' arguments and provides an unexpected illumination of problems of reference work in libraries as well. Rather than review the book in detail, my intention is to discuss certain parts of the authors' methodology and arguments as these relate to various aspects of meaning in current discussions within LIS.