ABSTRACT
The role of description in lexicography is complex and lies outside the usual conception of descriptive linguistics. The practice of lexicography shows that description depends strongly on the lexicographer’s introspection. This creates a permanent tension between introspection and the search for objectivity that gives rise to description. The Coserian concept of “language knowledge” constitutes a central idea in explaining this tension. On this basis, this chapter explores the different ways in which “language knowledge” is manifested in the practice of lexicography: its inherent normativity, its effect on the usage markers included in the lexicographic entry, the semantic analysis included in the definition, the difficult distinction between dictionary of language and encyclopaedia, the order of meanings in the lexicographic entry, and the role of the example as a description of use.
