Chinese Lexicography: A History from 1046 BC to AD 1911

This comprehensive account of the history of Chinese lexicography is the first book on the subject to be published in English. It traces the development of Chinese lexicography over three millennia, from the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-256 BC) to the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911). Revealing how the emergence of lexicographical culture in ancient China was linked to the teaching of ancient characters, it describes the subsequent development of primers, thesauruses, and dictionaries of all major types, including those of dialects and technical terms. These works originated and appeared in ancient China, predating their western counterparts by hundreds of years: and in one form or another most of them remain in use today. Throughout their account the authors show how changes in the organization, content, use and researches of Chinese lexicographical works reflected broader social and political developments. This book not only makes an important and original contribution to the history of Chinese lexicography and the social and cultural history of China but also provides illuminating insights into world lexicography and new forms of comparative researches in lexicography in the global context.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part I The Pioneering and Emergence of Lexicographical Culture in Ancient China (from Zhou to Han Dynasty) 1: The Emergence of Lexicographical Culture in China 2: The Progress of Exegetic Practice and the Advent of Lexicographical Work in China 3: Historian Zhou's Primer: the Source of Lexicographic Culture in China 4: The Ready Guide: the Initiator of Thesaurus Dictionary in China 5: The Dictionary of Dialectal Words: the Beginning of Dialect Dictionary n China 6: An Explanatory Dictionary of Chinese Characters: the Genesis of Character Dicionary in China 7: The Dictionary of Chinese Characters and Terms: the Beginning of Etymological Dictionary in China 8: Theoretical Inquiries into Lexicographical Issues in Ancient China: A Survey Part II The Exploration and Cultivation of Lexicography in China (from Wei to Yuan Dynasty) 1: An Overview of Chinese Lexicographic Culture During the Period of Exploration and Cultivation 2: The Development of Chinses Character Dictionary 3: The Development of Chinese Word Dictionary 4: Classefied Dictionaries: the Encyclopedic Dictionary in Ancient China 5: A Special Dictionary Type in Ancient China: Rhyme Dictionary Part III The Reform and Shaping of Lexicography in China (from Ming to Qing Dynasty) 1: An Insight into Lexicographical Culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties 2: The Formation of Character Dictionaries in China 3: The Formation of Chinese Word Dictionaries 4: The Evolution and Reformation of Special and Encyclopedic Dictionaries in China 5: Te Evolution and Formation of Rhyme Dictionaries in the Ming and Qing Dynasties Part IV Chinese Bilingual Lexicography: A Brief Sketch Appendix

About the Author :
Heming Yong, MA (Suzhou University), PhD (Macquarie University), has been a visiting scholar in The University of Massachusetts and senior research fellow in Oxford University. He is currently Professor of English in Guangdong University of Business Studies, China. His many publications include Bilingual Lexicography from a Communicative Perspective (co-authored with Jing Peng, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2007) and A Contemporary Dictionary of English Prepositions (chief editor, Yiwen Publishing House, Shanghai, China). Jing Peng, BA (Xi'an Jiaotong University), MA (University of Southampton), is currently director of Business English Department at the Guangdong University of Business Studies. Her research focuses on bilingual lexicography, historical lexicography, and business English studies. Her major publications include Bilingual Lexicography from a Communicative Perspective (co-authored with Heming Yong, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2007) and A Contemporary Dictionary of English Prepositions (associate chief editor, Yiwen Publishing House, Shanghai, China).

Review :
an indispensible bibliographic resource ... remarkebly comprehensive and well designed