Is the bilingual dictionary really the translator’s best friend? Or is it the case that all translators hate all dictionaries? The truth probably lies half-way. It is difficult to verify anyway, as the literature on the subject(s) is limited, not helped by the fact that Lexicography and Translation have stood apart for decades despite their commonality of purpose. Here is a volume, based on the proceedings of a successful conference at Hong Kong, that may at last provide some answers.

Philippine English is a comprehensive reference work on the history, sociology, and linguistic structure of Philippine English. It offers readers unprecedented access to a synthesis of the last 50 years of research into Philippine English and puts forward a new and better understanding of the phenomenon of the nativization of English in the Philippines and the emergence of Philippine English. This definitive resource covers in great length and depth all that is currently known about the new English. The chapters offer detailed descriptions of Philippine English at various linguistic levels in addition to examining the psychosociolinguistic factors which shaped the language. Offering discussions of practice, language policy, language education, language teaching, and the relevance of English in various social phenomena in the Philippines, readers will find everything they need to know on theory, methodology, and application in the study of Philippine English.

“An absolutely unique work in linguistics publishing – full of beautiful maps and authoritative accounts of well-known and little-known language encounters. Essential reading (and map-viewing) for students of language contact with a global perspective.” Prof. Dr. Martin Haspelmath, Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie The two text volumes cover a large geographical area, including Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia, South -East Asia (Insular and Continental), Oceania, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Mongolia, Central Asia, the Caucasus Area, Siberia, Arctic Areas, Canada, Northwest Coast and Alaska, United States Area, Mexico, Central America, and South America. The Atlas is a detailed, far-reaching handbook of fundamental importance, dealing with a large number of diverse fields of knowledge, with the reported facts based on sound scholarly research and scientific findings, but presented in a form intelligible to non-specialists and educated lay persons in general.

This root-based dictionary of the Ilocano language is the most comprehensive dictionary produced of Ilocano (Iloko), the lingua franca of Northern Luzon, and historically the native language of the majority of Filipino immigrants to the United States. The body of the dictionary includes entries for roots and affixes with illustrative sentences, idioms, common derivations, and scientific names (when applicable). Ilocano synonyms are also furnished when appropriate. Derived words that undergo morphological fusion are listed as separate entries to facilitate lexical searches. There is also an affix cross-reference list to help the beginning student recognize root words. Unlike most dictionaries of Philippine languages, it has an extensive English to Ilocano section, information on the pre-Hispanic syllabary, and language maps of the Philippines showing where the largest concentration of Ilocano speakers reside. Of related interest: Let's Speak Ilokano, by Precy Espiritu