leksykon

A leksykon is a reference work that collects the vocabulary of a language or a specific field, typically presenting headwords with definitions, pronunciations, grammatical information, etymologies, and usage examples. In linguistics, the term lexicon also refers to the mental repository of words that a speaker knows.

The word derives from Greek lexis, meaning word or speech, through Latin lexicon and into Polish as leksykon. The term is related to but not always identical with a dictionary; a leksykon can be broader, encompassing terminology, usage notes, and historical or etymological information beyond standard dictionary entries.

Leksykony vary in scope and purpose. General lexicons aim to document the core vocabulary of a language, while specialized lexicons focus on terms in fields such as law, medicine, technology, or the arts. Bilingual or multilingual lexicons provide translations and cross-language sense correspondences. There are also historical or etymological lexicons that trace word origins and development over time, as well as cognitive or descriptive lexicons used in linguistics to model how vocabulary is stored and retrieved.

Entries typically include the form of the headword, part of speech, a definition or sense, etymology, usage notes, examples, and cross-references to related terms. In digital form, lexicons can offer searchable databases, hyperlinks between senses, and dynamic updates, reflecting ongoing changes in language and terminology.