Diccionari

Diccionari is the Catalan term for a dictionary, a reference work that lists words and provides information about their meanings, pronunciations, spellings, grammatical properties, and usage. Dictionaries can be monolingual, explaining words in Catalan, or bilingual or multilingual, offering translations between Catalan and other languages. They also include specialized dictionaries for fields such as law, medicine, or technology, and learner’s dictionaries designed for new speakers or students.

The word derives from Latin dictionarium, via the Romance language tradition, and has been used in Catalan since medieval times. Modern dictionaries in Catalan emerged with standardized spelling and printing, evolving from glossaries and word lists into comprehensive reference works. A key milestone is the Diccionari de la llengua catalana by Pompeu Fabra, published in 1932, which established normative spellings and core meanings. Since then, institutions such as the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC) have maintained and expanded the canonical reference, adapting it to new uses and technologies.

In the digital era, many dictionaries are available online. The IEC maintains the online Diccionari.cat, a widely used Catalan dictionary that provides definitions, etymologies, usage notes, and cross-references. Catalan dictionaries continue to serve language learners, researchers, writers, and professionals, supporting standardization while reflecting linguistic variation and evolution within Catalan-speaking communities.