Modernisation de la lexicographie portugaise du xviii^e siècle : les dictionnaires de Pedro José da Fonseca

This study focuses on Pedro José da Fonseca’s lexicographic works – Parvum Lexicon (1762), Diccionario Portuguez, e Latino (1771), Diccionario Abbreviado da Fabula (1779) and the Diccionario da Lingoa Portugueza (1793). In the context of educational reforms and changing of the structure and customs of Portuguese society, an urgent need was felt to compose new works that might answer the needs of Pombal’s aims in relation to education and at the same time be suitable for use in schools. In the general and critical description of these dictionaries, it is stressed, by comparing Portuguese and European sources, the improvement in the techniques used in making these dictionaries.