A Dictionary of South African English is the fullest ever study of the English language in South Africa. The result of 25 years of work, this dictionary has been researched and written according to historical principles. However, as well as recording examples of South African English goingback to the sixteenth century, the dictionary also provides an insight into the dramatic political and cultural changes in South Africa's history by examining the country's ever changing language right up to the present day. Research into language has involved the contributions of hundreds ofindividual South Africans, as well as extensive research into all other forms of the written and spoken language. Diverse and informative entries include robot (a traffic light), bakkie (a small truck), bond (a mortgage), and brinjals (aubergines). The dictionary includes such areas as children'sslang, the vocabulary of soldiers, the mines, local music terms, the townships, food, and a detailed look at the complex language of apartheid. English words originating from all the country's groups are recorded, including words from Dutch/Afrikaans, the Malayo-Indonesian languages, the Indian,Khoisan, Nguni, and Sotho languages.

Provides a historical record of the development of English in a multi-lingual and multicultural society.

The definitive reference work on World Englishes—fully revised, expanded, and updated The Handbook of World Englishes is a collection of articles on the cross-cultural and transnational linguistic convergence and change of the English language. Now in its second edition, this Handbook brings together multiple theoretical, contextual, and ideological perspectives, and offers new interpretations of the changing identities of world Englishes (WE) speakers and examines the current state of the English language across the world. Thematically integrated contributions from leading scholars and researchers explore the expansion, modification, and adaptation of English in various settings and discuss the role of English in local, regional, and global contexts. This highly regarded text has been fully updated throughout the new edition to reflect the current conditions, contexts, and functions of major varieties of English across the world. Significant revisions to topics—such as an overview of the varieties of modern world Englishes and the First Diaspora in Wales and Ireland—reflect expanded scholarship in the field and new directions of research. Each chapter from the first edition has been updated in content and citations, while 11 new chapters cover subjects including world Englishes testing and Postcolonial theory, as well as world Englishes in South America, Russia, Africa, China, Southeast Asia, the United States, and Canada. Examines both traditional and contemporary perspectives on World Englishes Written by international authors, experts in their respective fields Emphasizes the historical development of the English language through a series of diasporas Highlights research into a wide range of sociolinguistic contexts and processes including code switching, newly established WE varieties, and new data on Chinese and Russian Englishes Explores future directions in WE research, development, and application The Handbook of World Englishes is an essential resource for academics, researchers, practitioners, and advanced students in fields including applied linguistics, language teaching, the history of the English language, world literatures, and related social and language sciences.

How did a single genre of text have the power to standardise the English language across time and region, rival the Bible in notions of authority, and challenge our understanding of objectivity, prescription, and description? Since the first monolingual dictionary appeared in 1604, the genre has sparked evolution, innovation, devotion, plagiarism, and controversy. This comprehensive volume presents an overview of essential issues pertaining to dictionary style and content and a fresh narrative of the development of English dictionaries throughout the centuries. Essays on the regional and global nature of English lexicography (dictionary making) explore its power in standardising varieties of English and defining nations seeking independence from the British Empire: from Canada to the Caribbean. Leading scholars and lexicographers historically contextualise an array of dictionaries and pose urgent theoretical and methodological questions relating to their role as tools of standardisation, prestige, power, education, literacy, and national identity.

This is the only encyclopedia and social history of swearing and foul language in the English-speaking world. It covers the various social dynamics that generate swearing, foul language, and insults in the entire range of the English language. While the emphasis is on American and British English, the different major global varieties, such as Australian, Canadian, South African, and Caribbean English are also covered. A-Z entries cover the full range of swearing and foul language in English, including fascinating details on the history and origins of each term and the social context in which it found expression. Categories include blasphemy, obscenity, profanity, the categorization of women and races, and modal varieties, such as the ritual insults of Renaissance "flyting" and modern "sounding" or "playing the dozens." Entries cover the historical dimension of the language, from Anglo-Saxon heroic oaths and the surprising power of medieval profanity, to the strict censorship of the Renaissance and the vibrant, modern language of the streets. Social factors, such as stereotyping, xenophobia, and the dynamics of ethnic slurs, as well as age and gender differences in swearing are also addressed, along with the major taboo words and the complex and changing nature of religious, sexual, and racial taboos.

Professor Braj Kachru (b. 1932) has pioneered, shaped and defined the scholarly field of world Englishes. He is the founder and co-editor of World Englishes, the associate editor of the Oxford Companion to the English Language and contributor to the Cambridge History of the English Language. His research on world Englishes, the Kashmiri language and literature, and theoretical and applied studies on language and society has resulted in more than 25 authored and edited volumes and more than 100 research papers, review articles, and reviews. The first volume of these Collected Works brings together a number of Kachru's key papers from 1976 to 1990, covering Kachru's early work in the development of World Englishes as a concept and his exploration of non-native varieties of English.