A Dictionary of Varieties of English

A Dictionary of Varieties of English presents a comprehensive listing of the distinctive dialects and forms of English spoken throughout the contemporary world.

• Provides an invaluable introduction and guide to current research trends in the field
• Includes definitions both for the varieties of English and regions they feature, and for terms and concepts derived from a linguistic analysis of these varieties
• Explores important research issues including the transportation of dialects of English, the rise of ‘New Englishes’, sociolinguistic investigations of various English-speaking locales, and the study of language contact and change.
• Reflects our increased awareness of global forms of English, and the advances made in the study of varieties of the language in recent decades
• Creates an invaluable, informative resource for students and scholars alike, spanning the rich and diverse linguistic varieties of the most widely accepted language of international communication

Preface vii

Maps ix

Introduction: Research Trends in Variety Studies 1

How to Use This Book 8

A 9

B 43

C 55

D 86

E 104

F 119

G 130

H 141

I 151

J 165

K 168

L 172

M 186

N 201

O 221

P 228

Q 258

R 261

S 272

T 309

U 323

V 328

W 342

X 350

Y 351

Z 353

Appendix A: Lexical Sets 355

Appendix B: Guide to Phonetic Symbols 357

Appendix C: IPA and American Transcription 360

Reference Guide for Varieties of English 363

RAYMOND HICKEY is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Duisburg–Essen, Germany. He is the editor of The Handbook of Language Contact (Wiley Blackwell, 2010), and the author of many books, most recently Standards of English: Codified Varieties around the World (2012), Areal Features of the Anglophone World (2012), Irish English in Today's World (2011), Eighteenth-Century English: Ideology and Change (2010) and Varieties of English in Writing (2010). He has also published over 100 articles on various issues in linguistics.

Reflecting the increased awareness of global forms of English, great strides have been made in the study of varieties of the language in recent decades. A Dictionary of Varieties of English provides a comprehensive overview and guide to current literature and research trends in the field, as well as an extensive listing of the distinct dialects, forms and varieties of English spoken throughout the contemporary world. Definitions are included both for the varieties of English and the regions in which they are found, and for terms and concepts derived from the linguistic analysis of these varieties. Various research avenues are covered, including the transportation of dialects of English, the rise of New Englishes, sociolinguistic investigations of various English-speaking locales, and the study of language contact and change. Informative and highly accessible, A Dictionary of Varieties of English is an invaluable resource for students and scholars alike, spanning the rich and diverse varieties of the most widely accepted language of international communication.

"With coverage from Aitken's Law through the merry-Mary-marry merger to Zimbabwean English, this comprehensive and concise - yet accessible - dictionary, written by one of the foremost practitioners in the field of English linguistics world-wide, will be a major asset to professors and students alike."
—Rajend Mesthrie, University of Capetown

“The profusion of research on varieties of English challenges comprehensibility, and Raymond Hickey’s Dictionary provides an essential guide with straightforward, concise, informative entries on all the varieties and their distinctive features.”
—J. K. Chambers, University of Toronto