Enquiry

This book explores the history of the English language in China from the arrival of the first English-speaking traders in the early seventeenth century to the present. Kingsley Bolton brings together and examines a substantial body of historical, linguistic and sociolinguistic research on the description and analysis of English in Hong Kong and China. He uses early wordlists, satirical cartoons and data from journals and memoirs, as well as more conventional sources, to uncover the forgotten history of English in China and to show how contemporary Hong Kong English has its historical roots in Chinese pidgin English. The book also considers the varying status of English in mainland China over time, and recent developments since 1997. With its interdisciplinary perspective, the book will appeal not only to linguists, but to all those working in the fields of Asian studies and English studies, including those concerned with cultural and literary studies.

Provides the first thorough treatment of the pedigree of Hong Kong English Describes the interface of the worlds two largest language complexes (English and Chinese) since first contact, using detailed original research Offers important new insights for the study of World Englishes, giving illustrations that are interestingly distinct from the better-known regional Englishes, e.g. South Asia or the Caribbean.