Dictionary of Literary Terms

Description

Dictionary of Literary Terms

There are many types of dictionaries. Each type, depending on the "material" it contains and the goal it sets, serves specific needs. The most well-known dictionaries are the ones that we usually characterize with the general name "spelling-interpretations". We refer to these when we want to solve a question about the correct spelling or meaning of a word.

This way of using and utilizing dictionaries reveals a lot. It mainly reveals their functional character and the specific purpose they serve.
In a simpler word, we would say that dictionaries are not written to be read like an article, a study, a novel, a history book, etc. That is why dictionaries are characterized as reference books. This means looking up a dictionary when you want to learn more about a word.

The present dictionary, as its name suggests, is very different from the well-known and classical dictionaries. Its subject and especially its purpose is much narrower. First of all, it was created to serve primarily the didactic needs, which are directly related to the teaching of modern, Greek and foreign, literature.

It is precisely this connection of the dictionary with the didactic act that predetermined, to a large extent, the nature, the character, the form, the extent and, above all, the aims of the dictionary. Specifically, the dictionary records entries that belong to the broader category of literary terms. The recording, however, is not exhaustive. In particular, for the selection of the vocabulary or, better, of the specific literary terms, a completely safe criterion worked: that is, the vocabulary was compiled based on the criterion of the frequency of use of each literary term in the daily teaching practice. This means that literary terms, registered in the most valid foreign dictionaries, were excluded from the present dictionary, with the criterion of not using them in the didactic practice.

The application of this criterion may have somewhat limited the number of entries. On the other hand, it kept the dictionary in a logical volume and in a logical scope, an element that makes it more functional and easier to use. This, after all, was one of the basic specifications set by the Pedagogical Institute.

Date of issue: July 2015
Cover page: Soft cover
Pages: 240