The Dictionary as a Specialized Corpus

Authors

Jennifer L. Mascott, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Comments

Scholars consider reliance on dictionary definitions to be the antithesis of objective, big-data analysis of ordinary meaning. This Article contests that notion, arguing that when dictionaries are treated as a specialized database, or corpus, they provide invaluable textured understanding of a term. Words appear in dictionaries both as terms being defined and as terms defining other words. Examination of every reference to a contested term throughout a dictionary’s definitional entries of other words may substantially benefit statutory and constitutional interpretation. Because dictionaries catalog language, their use as a specialized corpus provides invaluable insight into the ways a particular word is used in relation to terms throughout the English language. Such evidence provides a crucial interpretive launchpad, even for corpus-based researchers looking for a collection of possible word meanings to analyze in a database of ordinary-language documents.

Recommended Citation

Jennifer L. Mascott, The Dictionary as a Specialized Corpus, 2017 BYU L. Rev. 1557 (2018).