1) Selection of words and the number of dictionary entries.

A distinctly modern criterion in selection of entries is the frequency of the words to be included. When the problem of selection is settled, there is the question as to which of the selected units have the right to a separate entry and which are to be included under one common head-word.

The difference in number of entries for an equal bulk of vocabulary may also depend on different approach to the regularly formed derivatives.

2) Structure and content of a dictionary entry (in different types of dictionaries).

The arrangement of vocabulary entry presents many problems, of which the most important are the differentiation and sequence of various meanings of a polysemantic word. A historical dictionary is primarily concerned with the development of the English vocabulary. A descriptive dictionary dealing with current usage has to face its own specific problems. It has to apply structural point of view and give preference to the most important meanings. A synchronic dictionary should also show the distribution of every word.

There are some other problems of dictionary compiling:

Place of phraseological units in the dictionary.

Place of homonyms in dictionary entries.

History of English and American lexicography.

The history of dictionary-making for the English language goes to Old English period where its 1^st traces are found in the form of glosses of religious books with interlinear translations from Latin. Regular bilingual English-Latin dictionaries were already in existence in the 15^th century. They were associated with foreign language study from the time immemorial. The unilingual dictionary is a comparatively recent type. The first unilingual dictionary explaining words by English equivalents appeared in 1604. Its title was “A Table Alphabeticale, Containing and Teaching the True Writing and Understanding of Hard Usual English Words Borrowed from the Hebrew, Greeke, Latin and French”. The first attempt of a dictionary including all the words of the language was made by Nathaniel Bailey who in 1721 published his 1^st edition of “Universal Etymological English Dictionary” including the pronunciation and etymology.

The golden age of English lexicography began in the 19^th century when English Philological Society started work on compiling what is known as “Oxford English Dictionary” (OED), it but was named “New English Dictionary on Historical Principles”.

The principles, structure and scope of OED, its merits and demerits are discussed up to nowadays. Its prestige is enormous. It is considered superior to corresponding dictionaries of other languages.

It has some variants: “The Sorter Oxford English Dictionary”, “The Concise OED” (1911). Another dictionary created by joined effort – Joseph Wright’s English Dialect Dictionary.

The 1^st American dictionary was compiled by Samuel Johnson. He published in 1798 “A School Dictionary”. It was followed in 1800 by another dictionary that showed sights of Americanization. It was Noah Webster considered to be father of American lexicography, who broke away from English idiom and embodied in his book the specifically American usage of his time.

His 1^st book “American Dictionary of the English Language” appeared in 2 volumes in 1828 and later sustained numerous revised and enlarged editions. In many respects Webster follows the lead of Johnson, but he attempts to simplify the spelling and pronunciation that were current in the USA of the period.

Webster’s dictionary enjoyed great popularity. It was due not only to accuracy and clarity of definitions, but also to richness of additional information of encyclopaedic character, which had become a tradition in American lexicography.

Webster’s book aims to treat the entire vocabulary of the language providing definitions, pronunciation and etymology. As an encyclopaedia it gives explanations about things named, including scientific and technical subjects.

This dictionary was revised in 1864, 1890, 1909, 1934, 1961.

The other 3 American dictionaries are: “The Century Dictionary” (1891), “Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary” (1875), “Random House Dictionary of English Language” (1967).