Lists constitute a very particular text type in terms of both form and content. Under certain conditions they can be treated in a similar way to running texts made up of sentences. The classifications used in phone books provide valuable information in many respects. From a lexical and terminological point of view there is no doubt they are real lists in the form of catalogues, and they present a particular challenge for translators since they demand both linguistic expertise and a good grasp of the economic and professional activities involved. They offer a unique insight into the cultural component of professional classification. Processing this type of corpus gives insight into the economic phenomena it reflects. In addition, a chronological analysis of this type of corpus yields valuable information about economic and terminological practices of the past and the present. It turns out, however, that the corpus can really only be analysed in its printed form, as the electronic versions do not clearly present the categories and instead rely on databases that cannot be accessed directly.