1st Edition

Ethnocentrism and the English Dictionary

By Phil Benson Copyright 2001
240 Pages
by Routledge

240 Pages
by Routledge

240 Pages
by Routledge

This unique work challenges the assumption that dictionaries act as objective records of our language, and instead argues that the English dictionary is a fundamentally ethnocentric work. Using theoretical, historical and empirical analyses, Phil Benson shows how English dictionaries have filtered knowledge through predominantly Anglo-American perspectives. The book includes a major case study of... Read more
Introduction 1. Dictionaries and theories of language 2. The semiotics of the dictionary 3. The centre-periphery metaphor in action 4. The monolingual English dictionary up to Johnson 5. From Johnson to the OED 6. The lexicography of English as an international language 7. China in the OED: the wordlist 8. China in the OED: associating words with China 9. China in the OED: definitions 10. China in the OED: quotations 11. Conclusion

Biography

Phil Benson