Dai Lue-English Dictionary

William J. Hanna

2012. 548 pp.
1 map, introduction, appendixes, source list
Paperback, 14.5x21 cm,

This dictionary is the first of its kind, a pioneering work in the field of Southeast Asian linguistics. It focuses primarily on the dialect of Dai Lue spoken in Sipsong Panna, China, but also notes differences with the Dai Lue dialect in Thailand. The Dai Lue data comes from three main sources: data collected through extensive field research in Chiang Kham, Thailand, and in Sipsong Panna, China; a lexicography workshop conducted with Dai Lue‐speakers; and a corpus of over 130,000 words from Dai Lue texts.

Containing more than 13,000 Dai Lue entries, the dictionary provides a phonetic pronunciation guide and complete English definition for each word, as well as the part of speech, classifiers, and spelling variants. Helpful usage examples of the word in context are all accompanied by English translation. An index of English terms keyed to the Dai Lue entries follows the dictionary proper.

The preliminary material includes a bilingual English and Thai introduction to the Dai Lue language, namely the phonology, orthography, and morphology, and an explanation of the structure of entries. Extensive appendixes provide lists of Dai Lue classifiers, pronouns, onomatopoetic words, final particles, geopolitical terms, and colour terms, and a frequency list of 150 of the most commonly used words.

The dictionary is an essential reference for both learners of Dai Lue and for Dai Lue speakers who are interested in their own language or in learning English. It will prove invaluable for Tai scholars as well as linguists interested in Asian languages.

The dictionary features:

Bilingual English/Thai introduction to the Dai Lue language, people, and culture
Over 13,000 Dai Lue entries with English definitions
Entries in Dai Lue script with phonetic pronunciation
Dai Lue idioms and expressions included in entries
Illustrative examples of usage, with English translation
Careful discrimination of meanings
Supplemental English index to Dai Lue entries

The appendixes feature:

classfiers
Pronoun system
Onomatopoetic words
Final particles
Geopolitical terms
Colors
Frequency list of the 150 most common words

About the Editor

William J. Hanna has taught linguistics, at Mahidol University in Bangkok and Payap University in Chiang Mai, for thirty years. He began studying Dai Lue in 1982 and has done ground‐breaking research on Dai Lue grammar