In a word: Debbie Cameron on the role (and the power) of dictionaries

It might be fair to say that dictionaries generally operate in a kind of stealth mode—we probably don’t think about them too often, they’re seldom added to anyone’s wish list, and if there’s a big one in your house, it’s likely used more often as a booster seat for toddlers at the dinner table than as a reference work. Still, we often trust the dictionary to be the High Authority for settling bets or arguments, and even, sometimes, for helping with schoolwork. We trust the dictionary, and we rely on it, and we seldom question its judgment. But maybe we should. Linguist Debbie Cameron examines the problematic nature of the role of dictionaries in this July 2019 post on her blog, Language: A feminist guide.

Cameron, “Dissing the dictionary”

1. Cameron speculates that the Oxford Dictionary’s entry for the word woman“isn’t exerting a malign influence” on users, mainly because so few people will ever notice it. Still, she is critical of that specific entry and of many aspects of the dictionary, in general. What are Cameron’s criticisms? List them and explain each briefly. Given her criticisms, why doesn’t she support Maria Beatrice Giovanardi’s petition? Summarize Cameron’s  argument.
2. Think about the last five times you consulted a dictionary. (Try hard. You can remember.) What were you seeking on each of those occasions? Definition? Spelling? Pronunciation? Confirmation of usage? Finding a synonym? Something else? Considering your own use of a dictionary as a language resource, what features of the dictionary are the most useful? Which are the least useful? Would you like a dictionary to provide more guidance and information about appropriate uses of a word? Less? More examples of the word from contemporary sources? Fewer? What would your ideal dictionary consist of?
3. In addition to the Oxford Dictionary and the petition created by Giovanardi, Cameron employs statements and statistics from numerous other sources for her They Say. How well does she distinguish her own words and opinions from those of her sources? What moves does she use to make the distinctions clear? Read (or re-read) Chapter 5 of your text to help you with this question.
4. You see the dilemma, of course. Dictionaries document how people use words and language in real life. And as Cameron notes, although dictionaries don’t set out to do this, they also wield a considerable amount of authority and influence in the ways that words are used. Perform an analysis the way that Cameron did: examine the entry for womanin a major full-size dictionary—perhaps one in your school library—and consider all of the definitions, examples, and sub-entries. What elements or examples would you recommend changing? What should be added? What should be deleted? What changes would you recommend? Should any examples be tagged as archaic or offensive? On the basis of your analysis, what do you think a dictionary’s responsibility should be for shaping the usage that, in turn, shapes our social reality? Write an essay responding to that question, and include observations from your analysis to support your argument.