2026
SELECTED RESEARCH · 2026
Polyglot Lexicons and Encyclopedic Works in Late Imperial China
Ling-Wei Kung
Encyclopedia 6, no. 1, article 5 (2026): 1–11.
DOI: 10.3390/encyclopedia6010005
Research summary
This entry reinterprets polyglot lexicography from the Yuan and Ming through the Qing as part of the infrastructure of multilingual governance. It traces changes from phonetic transcription and semantic pairing to state curricula, documentary templates, and Manchu-centred imperial compilations. Alongside official works such as the Huayi yiyu, Qing wen jian, and Xiyu tongwen zhi, it examines commercial manuals and Joseon language textbooks. The article argues that courts, frontiers, markets, and foreign schools jointly produced tools that made multilingual administration possible. Citation year: 2026; first published online: 25 December 2025.
This summary is prepared from the full article; consult the PDF for the original abstract and complete argument.
Main contributions
- Traces phonetic, semantic, and administrative functions across Yuan, Ming, and Qing lexicography.
- Connects official compilations with commercial and transregional language education.
- Explains multilingual reference works as infrastructure for governance.
Citation
Kung, Ling-Wei. “Polyglot Lexicons and Encyclopedic Works in Late Imperial China.” Encyclopedia 6, no. 1, article 5 (2026): 1–11.
First published online on 25 December 2025; the formal issue is volume 6, number 1 (2026).
