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Hobson‐Jobson : The East India Company lexicon
Author(s) -
TELTSCHER KATE
Publication year - 2017
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/weng.12285
Subject(s) - lexicon , glossary , philology , history , historical linguistics , linguistics , sociology , philosophy , gender studies , feminism
Henry Yule and A.C. Burnell's Hobson‐Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo‐Indian Words and Phrases (1886) offers a richly nuanced history of the East India Company. This article argues that the lexicon shows the influence of comparative philology, particularly the work of Friedrich Max Müller. Compiled at the same time as the India Office archives were first catalogued, Hobson‐Jobson engages with the primary sources of Company history. The article examines both the impact of Asian words and goods on Britain, and the cultural and trading connections between colonies. Through a series of close readings, the article demonstrates that Hobson‐Jobson offers fresh ways to approach the global networks of Company trade, and personal networks of affiliation.