Polish Translations of The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The "dictionary" is a vague concept—borderline cases include (but are not limited to) literary and journalistic works which use lexicographic structure to convey various types of content. Among such works, The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce is a well-known example. This article is concerned with its major Polish translations and focuses on three questions: how the translators coped with Bierce's text, occasionally difficult to render in a foreign language; what they were guided by in choosing entries for translation; and finally, what might have induced them to take an interest in Bierce's dictionary. An attempt will also be made to position The Devil's Dictionary within the field of lexicography with special attention paid to atypical or less typical dictionaries.