rewards for lexicographical research

[Steve Kl.]

On Mon, 5 Aug 2002, Rudolph C Troike wrote:

>         Of course Steve's comments could be taken in the spirit that one
> does not have to have a degree in horticulture to be a gardener, or a
> farmer, and in the old story once told me by a farmer which re-interprets
> BS, MS, and PhD, but even farmers are finding more common cause with plant
> science nowadays, and the disparities are declining.

One really does not need a PhD to be professional lexicographer. I'm not
disparaging education, mind you. My BA is in linguistics, and even though
I didn't get the PhD, I had a very intensive period of study at the U of
C, which included a field exam in lexicography, for which I read well over
3,000 pages of books and articles, from Atchison to Zgusta, over the
course of nine months, followed by a rigorous 72-hour exam of the material.

It was because of my thorough, solid education that, for me, writing the
dissertation wasn't essential.

All that said, all that academic study was only a part of my training. I
had the good fortune to be mentored by a professional lexicographer,
Richard Spears, who taught me as an undergraduate, and who had me working
on projects from that point up until I began working at the American
Heritage Dictionary. It was the 7 years of practical experience that I had
in lexicography that helped me land my job at AHD. Without it, even had I
gotten a PhD, I don't think I would have gotten the job.

I imagine that at most schools I could have knocked off a PhD with
relative ease. The linguistics department at the U of C is well known for
its highly theoretical dissertations. Almost no students finish before
their 7th year, most take 9 to 11 years. Some take far longer.

I had landed the job that I wanted when I started grad school. Futhermore,
I was always in school to learn. And learn I did. I can't sing the praises
of the U of C (and Northwestern) enough. It was rigorous, and I learned.
The dissertation process, though, for me, was not about learning, and it
was unnecessary. I didn't need it, so I left.

My lack of a PhD doesn't make me a hobbyist, and I resent that
implication.

Lexicography is a craft. You need much more than book smarts to have a
successful time with it.

-- Steve