ABSTRACT
The lexicographic craft of creating dictionaries of language queries and common errors has changed radically with the advent of computer technology. The techniques used to compile works such as the current Diccionario panhispánico de dudas (Real Academia Española y Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española 2005, en adelante, DPD) produced by the RAE, the classic Diccionario de dudas y dificultades de la lengua española (DDyD) (1961–2002) by Seco, and the Diccionario de usos y dudas del español actual (DUDEA) by Martínez de Sousa (1996–2008) and the Diccionario americano de dudas frecuentes de la lengua española by Petrecca (2002–2006), have now been superseded.
In this chapter, we identify and describe the particular characteristics of this type of specialized dictionary in Spanish language guidance, selecting the best current examples (from both Spain and America). In addition, we show how Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 (Semantic Web) have brought initiatives and technological advances to this type of lexicography and to traditional language consultation departments. These tools offer a socially constructed digital universe for the transmission of knowledge that, with the boom in social media, can be effectively and permanently shared between users on multiple devices. To conclude, we reflect on the future of dictionaries of language queries at a time when electronic texts are being propagated at a dizzying speed and we are developing new practices for creating and consuming written content.
