Preliminary review of the lexicon of gastronomy and its reflection in the macrostructure of the Spanish encyclopedic dictionary for students Maraisa

Abstract

This research examines the treatment of food-related terms in the macrostructure of a Venezuelan school dictionary created in the late twentieth century, proposing a threefold task: (1) to identify the types and sets of lexical units derived from the gastronomic field, with particular focus on units specific to Venezuelan Spanish; (2) to specify the lexicographic techniques and resources employed by the dictionary’s author to present this content within the macrostructure; and (3) to classify the food-related lexical material into subfields. Methodologically, the study is qualitative and documentary, focusing on the Diccionario Enciclopédico Escolar Maraisa (1986) due to its significance in Venezuelan school lexicography. The analysis follows a metalexicographic approach (Lara, 1997), considering traditional organizational levels of lexicographic works: macrostructure and microstructure. The findings indicate that: (a) the Maraisa dictionary accounts for the culinary lexicon under geographical restrictions; (b) this lexicon is divided into two main categories: terms used in the broader Spanish macrosystem of Latin America and terms specifically employed in Venezuelan Spanish; (c) the emergent lexical-thematic subfields encompass areas such as dishes and meals, desserts, food establishments, and substantive routines characteristic of Venezuelan culture. This research underscores the importance of local culinary lexicons in school dictionaries and highlights their role in reflecting regional linguistic identity within educational resources.