This study investigates the evolution and cultural significance of non-alphabetical, topical word-lists produced between the early medieval period and 1700. Werner Hüllen, an expert in the history of lexicography, examines how these early dictionaries reflected the prevailing theological, philosophical, and natural history paradigms of their time. By analyzing these lists, the author provides a framework for understanding how language organization mirrored the intellectual structures of pre-modern European society.

Scholars and historians of linguistics frequently cite this work as a definitive resource for understanding the pre-alphabetical era of dictionary making. The text is noted for its academic rigor and its ability to connect technical lexicographical shifts to broader intellectual history.