lexicography/pher as a literary/philosophical motif

[Olga Meerson]

Milorad Pavic? Pelevin (esp. in empire-V)? Leskov? A fascinating topic! Congratulations!
o.m.

----- Original Message -----
From: Toma Tasovac <ttasovac at PRINCETON.EDU>
Date: Friday, June 20, 2008 7:40 am
Subject: [SEELANGS] lexicography/pher as a literary/philosophical motif

> Dear colleagues,
> 
> I'm interested in the literary and philosophical treatment of  
> lexicography and the figure of the lexicographer on his/her elusive 
> 
> quest for meaning, identity and satisfaction in and against 
> language,  
> which runs the gamut from mediocrity (Flauber't ridicule of Charles 
> 
> Bovary's extensive and systematic use of the French-Latin 
> dictionary,  
> for instance) to madness (Roget's obsessive-compulsive compilation 
> of  
> lists of all sorts, or the celebrated case of the committed -- in  
> both senses of the word -- OED contributor William Chester Minor).
> 
> I'd like to dip into the collective brain of this list and solicit  
> examples -- Slavic or non-Slavic -- of poetry (e.g. Neruda's Odo al 
> 
> Diccionario), fiction (such as Bruno Frank's Der Reisepaß, Pavic'  
> ???????? ??????), essays written by non-lexicogrphers  
> (e.g. Sartre writing about the fascinating pictures in Nouveau  
> Larousse illustré, or Borges' preface to Diccionario enciclopédico  
> Grijalbo), dictionaries written by non-lexicographers (Voltaire's   
> Dictionnaire philosophique, Flaubert's Dictionnaire des idées  
> reçues, Solzhenitsin's ??????? ???????  
> ????????? ??????????) or any other literary/ 
> philosophical texts in which the theory and practice of collecting  
> and defining words plays a thematic, metaphoric or structural role.
> 
> Any tips or references, no matter how small, would be appreciated.  
> Many thanks in advance.
> 
> All best,
> Toma
> 
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