Lexigraphy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The practice or art of writing dictionaries, involving the compilation of words and their meanings
2. A specialized field that focuses on the systematic arrangement of words, definitions, and usage in language resources
3. The process of creating lexicons, which includes defining terms and organizing them for educational or reference purposes

Etymology: "Lexigraphy" is built from "lexigraph" plus the suffix "-y", which turns a noun denoting a person or thing into a noun for the practice or field associated with it. The base "lexigraph" is itself a compound of the Greek roots for "word" (lexis) and "writing" (graphein), so the term literally describes the writing or recording of words. The suffix is the part that makes the word a field of study rather than a single tool or document. A "lexigraph" is one who writes about words, a compiler of dictionaries or glossaries, and adding "-y" shifts the sense from the person to the discipline of that work. The result names the systematic side of lexicography: how entries are ordered, how definitions are phrased, and how usage is recorded in reference works.

Synonyms: lexicography