The British Empire through the eyes of lexicography

Seminar Paper , 2003 , 12 Pages , Grade: 1,0

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

This paper is the attempt to combine the fascinating fields of cultural studies and linguistics with the following question in mind: How do contemporary monolingual English dictionaries deal with and define terms such as colony, colonialism, empire and imperialism? – concepts that we inevitably associate with the British Empire.
Thousands of books and articles have been written on Britain’s colonial past. Therefore, it is not my design to discover something unexplored or to present new theories but to scrutinise the way lexicographers handle ‘imperial’ vocabulary. To this end, a number of dictionary entries had been analysed for their wording and accessibility. It should be noted that this paper was written on the basis of predominantly general, non-technical references, hoping to make different lines of thinking easier.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The calm before the storm
• What is an empire
• The colony
• Colonialism
  • From colonialism to imperialism
• Concluding remarks
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to explore the intersection of cultural studies and linguistics by examining how contemporary monolingual English dictionaries define terms related to the British Empire, such as "colony," "colonialism," "empire," and "imperialism." The paper analyzes dictionary entries to understand how lexicographers handle "imperial" vocabulary and its accessibility. The focus is on general, non-technical references, aiming to provide a broader perspective on the subject.

• The evolution of the term "empire" in English lexicography
• The relationship between colonialism and imperialism in dictionary definitions
• The role of lexicography in shaping public understanding of the British Empire
• The challenges of defining complex historical concepts in a concise and accessible manner
• The impact of the British Empire on the English language

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction sets the stage for the paper, outlining its objective to analyze how contemporary English dictionaries define terms related to the British Empire. It emphasizes the focus on general, non-technical references and the aim to provide a broader perspective on the subject.

The second chapter, "The calm before the storm," explores the historical context of the British Empire, highlighting the lack of foresight regarding its eventual global reach and the English language's subsequent dominance. It also examines the historical context of empires, referencing examples like the Persian, Roman, and Mongol Empires, and raises the question of the justification for creating a new empire.

The third chapter, "What is an empire," delves into the etymology and evolution of the term "empire," tracing its origins to Latin and its subsequent entry into the English language. It analyzes various dictionary definitions of "empire," highlighting the challenges of providing a concise and accurate definition. The chapter explores the criteria for defining an empire, considering factors such as the number of countries controlled, the size of the territory, and the nature of the governing authority.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The keywords and focus themes of the text include the British Empire, colonialism, imperialism, lexicography, dictionary definitions, cultural studies, linguistics, English language, historical context, and the evolution of language.

• College: Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (Institut für fremdsprachliche Philologien)
• Course: The British Empire
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Steffen Laaß (Author)
• Publication Year: 2003
• Pages: 12
• Catalog Number: V114247
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640152346
• Language: English
• Tags: British, Empire, British, Empire