A Dictionary of Hong Kong English

Book excerpt: This book is the first dictionary of Hong Kong English. It includes only words and word senses that are particular to Hong Kong English, legitimizing it as a variety in its own right. While the main focus is on contemporary language use from all domains of Hong Kong life, historical terms and references are covered as well. Entries are designed according to state of the art lexicography and show pronunciation, source language, frequency, authentic usage, and cultural conceptualizations. The dictionary also provides a brief history of Hong Kong English, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, historical place names and their current equivalents, words of Hong Kong origin now in international use, as well as further reference material. Patrick J. Cummingshas taught English and science in Hong Kong for more than a decade.Hans-Georg Wolfis chair professor for development and variation of the English language at Potsdam University, Germany.