“WHAT IS GOOD OR BAD ABOUT BILINGUAL DICTIONARY OF PUNJABI: A LEXICOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE INTO FUTURE OF BILINGUAL LEXICOGRAPHY IN THE PUNJABI LANGUAGE IN PAKISTAN”

Abstract

Bilingual dictionary coordinates with two languages and its prospective users are provided lexical information mainly in the form of equivalents. The compilation of a bilingual dictionary requires well- thought-of consideration on matters like prospective dictionary users, coverage of lexical items, and top of all deciding on which language to be taken as the source language or the target language. The study seeks to sketch out the overall lexicographic development with respect to bilingual dictionaries of Punjabi available in Pakistan. It analyses diverse issues such as design features, productive or receptive needs of dictionary users, and coverage of lexical items in bilingual dictionaries of Punjabi such as Vanguard Punjabi-English Dictionary and W.P. Hares English-Punjabi Dictionary, Punjabi-Urdu Dictionary by Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan and Tanveer-ul-lughaat by Syed Tanveer Bukhari. The study takes Hartmann (2001) as a conceptual framework and employs a documentary analysis method. To carry out the need analysis, checklist method of research was preferred and to seek answer regarding user’s needs a sample of respondents (200graduates pursuing a course in Punjabi as optional subject) were administered a  questionnaire  containing  both  open-ended  and  close-ended  questions  regarding  user’s  needs  with respect to dictionary use. The data provided that existing bilingual dictionaries of Punjabi lack in various areas such as i) less coverage of lexical items, ii) hyper structure, iii) access structures, iv)  macro- structure, v) micro-structure. The inconsistencies shown by the dictionaries render them less useful for users  at  the  graduate  level,  and  the  problem can  be  addressed  well  if  dictionary  compilers  follow postulates of lexicography and a comprehensive language corpus is developed.