Igbo For Specific Purpose Dictionary: The Need for Further Development

Abstract

Language for Specific Purpose (LSP) dictionaries are reference works that define a language variety used by experts and professionals in a particular subject field. They are designed for specific purpose, to satisfy the needs of a defined group of users. They enhance language development through terminology development and advancement in Education. This paper is targeted at creating awareness and sensitization on the need for more Igbo LSP dictionaries. It is focused on identifying the features of LSP dictionaries and using the identified features to evaluate eleven (11) print dictionaries of the Igbo language. The theoretical framework adopted for this study is the Substance over Form approach proposed in Nielsen (2011). It focuses on types of data that exist in different sections of a dictionary, and how they support the dictionary function. Data for the study was collected from eleven print dictionaries of the Igbo language. From the analysis of the target users, and the dictionary structures; especially the macrostructure which reveals the order and arrangement of the lemmata; and the microstructure that showcases the definition style adopted at the entries; it could be confirmed that most of the dictionaries have not been developed with a view to serving as LSP dictionaries. The only dictionary among the eleven (11) analyzed in this study that can be described as LSP is ‘I?gbo?A?di?’Igbo–English, English-Igbo Dictionary of Linguistic and Literary Terms by Mbah et al. (2013). Having observed the importance of LSP dictionaries for the Igbo language, this paper advocates for the development of more Igbo LSP dictionaries for experts in the various subject fields, as well as for secondary school subjects.