Abstract: It is undeniable that "a dictionary is a universe in alphabetical order" (France) and that every dictionary maker is irresistibly driven by a seemingly contradictory need for order and escape. He "goes in search of the secret of words, to free them from their prison. It thaws them out, to open up their meaning and power" (Dotoli, 2006: 6). For this reason, the work of the lexicographer is constantly shifting between freedoms and constraints to be located in order to avoid being trapped by them.
