PRESCRIPTIVISM AND DESCRIPTIVISM IN THE TREATMENT OF ANGLICISMS IN A SERIES OF BILINGUAL SPANISH-ENGLISH DICTIONARIES

An important decision in dictionary design is the treatment given to borrowings or foreign words, that is, whether they should be included in cases of widespread usage (following a descriptive perspective), or rejected because the lexicographer considers that they are undesirable (from a prescriptive approach). This paper analyses the treatment of Anglicisms in a modern bilingual specialized English-Spanish dictionary series and shows that the lexicographers have often avoided the inclusion of Anglicisms, even when either amply documented among expert users or accepted by prescriptive authorities. Our analysis shows that this attitude may not reflect actual usage and, what is possibly more problematic, entails at times a neglect of potentially confusing items, such as false Anglicisms. This study also illustrates some of the consequences of the choice between prescriptivism and descriptivism, and suggests that some intermediate positions might be possible and helpful for dictionary users.