Lexicographic Aspects of Synonymy in Dagestani Linguistics: Historical Background, Challenges, and Prospects

Abstract

This paper examines the lexicographic dimension of synonymy research in the languages of Dagestan. It highlights the principal difficulties encountered in the lexicographic treatment of synonyms, both within general lexicography and specifically in Dagestani linguistics, and outlines potential approaches to addressing these issues. A key challenge is the lack of up-to-date, theoretically and methodologically developed synonym dictionaries in Dagestani studies, while the only existing work of this kind, A. G. Gyulmagomedov’s Concise Dictionary of Synonyms of the Lezgin Language, requires supplementation and revision to reflect the current linguistic situation. The aim of this study is to test scientifically grounded methods for the lexicographic representation of synonyms and to prepare materials for the updated edition of the aforementioned dictionary. The research draws on data from contemporary lexicographic sources, linguistic experimentation, original and translated literature, media language, and colloquial speech. The paper clarifies the terminology and methodology for lexicographically documenting synonyms, summarizes scholarly findings accumulated over the half-century since the dictionary’s publication in 1982, and proposes revisions to existing entries as well as the creation of new ones. It is demonstrated that many of the challenges in the lexicographic interpretation of synonyms stem from the vagueness of the terminology and methodology currently in use.