Review of Dictionary of Jamaican English

Abstract

This article is a critical scholarly review of the second edition of the Dictionary of Jamaican English edited by Frederic G. Cassidy and R. B. Le Page. The review evaluates the dictionary’s methodology, scope, and historical principles, particularly its application of Oxford English Dictionary–based lexicographical standards to an English-based creole language. It discusses the treatment of dialectal variation, phonology, etymology, sociolinguistic distribution, and comparative Caribbean evidence, while assessing the dictionary’s contribution to creole studies, historical linguistics, and regional lexicography.