The following article presents Félix de Augusta's Diccionario Araucano [Araucanian Dictionary] (1916) in its original social and linguistic context, in order to assess its validity in relation to Mapuche language and culture a century later. We examine the factors that made the Dictionary an exceptional reference for the dissemination and academic study of Mapudungun, placing these in counterpoint with factors that conspire against the work's currency and usefulness today. Difficulties are also evaluated with regards to the updating or replacement of this resource at a historical juncture where the language's lexicon is in greatest need of anchoring. The paper concludes with some prospects for 21st-century Mapuche lexicography and for the use of the Dictionary in revitalization and historical linguistics projects.
Keywords:
Mapudungun, Felix de Augusta, lexicography, neologisms, historical linguistics
Molineaux, B. J. (2016). The validity of Felix de Augusta’s Diccionario Araucano, one hundred years after its publication. Boletín De Filología, 51(1), 187–209. Retrieved from https://actabioethica.uchile.cl/index.php/BDF/article/view/42105
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