How English Dictionaries Reflect Asia’s Linguistic Diversity and Colonial History

What is it about?

This chapter looks at how dictionaries have recorded the way English is used across Asia. It begins with early colonial times, when English was mixed with local languages in places like India and Malaysia. It explores how these unique "Asian Englishes" developed their own words and meanings, and how dictionaries either included or ignored them. It also explains the challenges of deciding which words are truly part of English and which are still seen as foreign. Today, as English continues to grow and change in Asia, the chapter stresses the importance of making sure these varieties are recognized and properly documented.

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Why is it important?

This is the first comprehensive review of lexicographical work across a wide range of Asian Englishes, both historical and modern. It offers a critical evaluation of nearly every dictionary ever compiled for these varieties, assessing not just content but also their quality and methodological rigour. Importantly, the chapter highlights the colonial roots of earlier dictionaries and argues against the assumption that English varieties need to be “standardized” to be worthy of dictionary treatment. By doing so, it challenges Western-centric views of English and underscores the legitimacy and richness of localized Asian Englishes, making it a key contribution to world Englishes studies and lexicography.