Representation of culture-bound items in a culture dictionary for German readers

Abstract In an increasingly multilingual and multicultural society, many different cultures meet and often merge with one another. The true meaning of the word ‘culture’, what it precisely denotes, and how much it can be described through languages have long been points of discussion. This paper shows how linguistic and cultural exchange and metalexicographic discussion on culture, as practised in the EMLex-Master’s programme, have led to a lexicographic project based on culture-bound words. After a short treatise on the definition of culture and culture-bound items, the ongoing project of a culture dictionary with its concept (macro- and microstructure) and first draft of examples are presented.