역사용어의 범주와 『역사용어사전』의 편찬방법

Abstract

This article aims to report and explain the features of ‘Dictionary of Historical Terms’ and the process of its compilation. ‘Dictionary of Historical Terms’ was planned to gather up the results of historical researches since the establishment of modern historiography in Korea and to seek new directions and possibilities of historical research. All words used in historiography as well as proper nouns such as personal names and place names are included in historical terms, but the compilation team of the ‘Dictionary of Historical Terms’ limited the category of historical terms. In general, historical terms embrace four types of terms; ① old lexicons in historical sources ② words in historical researches ③ terms translated from foreign words ④ words in other studies related to history. The compilation team mostly chose concepts considered important or used frequently in historical narratives and excluded proper nouns such as names of persons, places and affaires. The compilation team categorized the chosen terms into three classes according to their degree of importance and determined the amount of description by classes. In this process formed the planning committee which would establish some principles of article description, the committee of entry selection and the editing committee which would review article manuscripts and advise revisions and supplements. In the same time organized ‘conferences of lexicography’ for helping the understanding of methodology of dictionary compilation and ‘conferences of comparative history’ for encouraging the communication and developing the prospect of comparative history between academic disciplines divided into Korean History, Asian History and Western History. ‘Dictionary of Historical Terms’ could be said to be an indicator which shows not only the capability of our historical studies and the current state of academic accumulation but also the limit of developing of our own historical terms.