Ordlager

Ordlager is a concept in linguistics referring to the stock of words available to a speaker of a language or to a speech community. The term combines ord (word) and lager (stock or storage) and is often used interchangeably with vocabulary or lexicon, though ordlager emphasizes the practical word resources that people can draw upon in use as well as recognition.

An ordlager includes lemmas and their inflected forms and can be divided into active vocabulary (words readily used in speech or writing) and passive or receptive vocabulary (words recognized and understood but not frequently used). It also encompasses domain-specific vocabulary and core or high-frequency vocabulary that are central to everyday communication.

In research and language teaching, ordlager size is a common measure of vocabulary knowledge. Estimates are obtained through direct vocabulary size tests, frequency-based analysis, or reading-based assessments using corpora or graded materials. The concept is dynamic: an individual's ordlager grows with exposure and practice and changes with context, age, and language experience, as well as through contact with other languages, which can introduce loanwords and new terms.

Domain-specific ordlager is crucial for professions and disciplines, where specialized terms may be absent from general vocabulary. Comparisons of ordlager across groups (age, education, social background) can reflect linguistic variation, proficiency, and exposure.

See also: vocabulary, lexicon, lexis, lexical size, language proficiency.