nimisõnastikud

Nimisõnastikud, also known as nominal dictionaries or noun dictionaries, are specialized lexicons that focus exclusively on nouns. Unlike general dictionaries that list all word classes, nimisõnastikud compile and organize words that denote persons, places, things, or concepts. Their primary purpose is to provide a comprehensive overview of a language's nominal vocabulary, often with detailed information about noun formation, declension, and semantic fields.

These dictionaries can be compiled for various linguistic purposes. They might be used for linguistic research, to study the evolution of noun systems, or to analyze the semantic relationships between nouns. For language learners, particularly those studying languages with complex noun morphology like Finnish or German, a nimisõnastik can be a valuable tool for understanding and mastering noun cases and gender.

The structure of a nimisõnastik typically involves an alphabetical listing of nouns. Each entry might include the noun's lemma, its grammatical properties (such as gender, number, and case paradigms), etymological information, and sometimes examples of usage. Some nimisõnastikud may also categorize nouns by topic or semantic field, allowing users to explore related terms. The scope can vary from a specific dialect or historical period to the entire nominal inventory of a language.