Article,

FRENCH WINDOWS: THE ORNAMENTAL HEAD-PRICES IN FRENCH DICTIONARIES

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International Journal of Lexicography, 14 (4): 261--282 (Dec 1, 2001)
DOI: 10.1093/ijl/14.4.261

Abstract

This paper focusses on an area of French dictionaries which is largely ignored: the ornamental head-pieces that may appear on the first page of every letter-chapter. Using the 'G' head-pieces of five dictionaries covering a period from 1834 to 1950, the author identifies the particularities of the illustrations, focussing on the singular motor used for choice of the items illustrated: their initial letters. To this end, the term iconophor is defined as follows: an image whose first distinctive feature consists in the letter that begins the name of its referent. The author contends that these illustrations provide a window into perceptions of French culture, suggesting that further study of other letters and dictionaries would be necessary in order to pursue this hypothesis.

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