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Hong Kong words: variation and context
Author(s) -
Benson Phil
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
world englishes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.6
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-971X
pISSN - 0883-2919
DOI - 10.1111/1467-971x.00185
Subject(s) - variety (cybernetics) , variation (astronomy) , linguistics , vocabulary , opposition (politics) , relation (database) , sociocultural evolution , context (archaeology) , sociology , computer science , artificial intelligence , political science , history , philosophy , anthropology , physics , database , politics , astrophysics , law , archaeology
The ideal description of a variety of English is one that is constructed within the terms of the variety itself. This paper discusses a number of issues involved in such a description in relation to the distinctive vocabulary of Hong Kong English. Attention to semantic and pragmatic relationships internal to the variety and the sociocultural context in which it operates is urged. These are illustrated with examples related to underlying definition, taxonomies, semantic opposition and the productivity of localised words.