When compiling a dialect dictionary, cooperation with speakers of the dialect in question is essential. Their role is presented in relation to the specific case of the preparation of a Dictionary of Bovec Local Speech (2007), in which it turned out that each phase brought different levels of cooperation. As well as functioning as informants, participants in spontaneous speech acts and tellers of folk tales or recounters of reminiscences, locals helped to collect and transcribe lexemes (private collections, bringing in material), helped determine the grammatical and semantic characteristics of words (checking material, the context, advising, revising, commenting), worked as reviewers, and finally appeared in the role of potential users of the dictionary. All these roles helped shape the final product. Their great willingness to cooperate and their commitment to preserving dialect vocabulary is a reflection of their concern and attachment to their local speech, which is an important part of the local identity.
|
