TEOFIL BEGRAWSKI: DICTIONARY OF TECHNICAL WORDS TYCZĄCYCH SIĘ BUDOWNICTWA [1883].

Description

The dictionary by Teofil Żebrawski is a pioneering lexicographical work on construction terminology, forming the foundation of Polish technical terminology. Published in 1883 by the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, it is the first such comprehensive study in this field, covering more than 10,000 entries. Żebrawski – an eminent architect, mathematician and historian – gathered in it specialized technical terms, names of building materials, tools, machines and terms related to architecture and engineering.

The extraordinary value of the publication is enhanced by the rich woodcuts in the text, which illustrate the tools, structures and architectural details discussed. The dictionary also contains extensive appendices: starting on page 343 there is a section entitled “German Words with Reference to Polish Words”, and starting on page 391 – “French Words with Reference to Polish Words”, which makes it an invaluable tool for researchers of technical literature in foreign languages.

Żebrawski’s work is a valuable source of knowledge for architects, engineers, builders and students of technical and artistic disciplines, as well as an important achievement of Polish technical lexicography of the 19th century, being the foundation for later studies in this field.