Sino-Vietnamese Bilingual Dictionaries from the Middle Ages to the Present

Abstract

Sino-Vietnamese bilingual dictionaries of the Middle Ages and the Modern Ages serve as crucial source materials for the examination of the historical evolution of bilingual lexicography within the realm of East Asian Chinese characters. Despite their significance, the scholarly community has bestowed limited attention on this subject, leaving numerous facets unexplored. This article endeavors to furnish a comprehensive overview of the prevailing status of Sino-Vietnamese bilingual dictionaries, delving into three primary perspectives. Building upon this framework, the historical trajectory of Sino-Vietnamese bilingual dictionaries is delineated into three pivotal epochs, each further classified into distinct sub-categories based on regional disparities between the North and the South, as well as variations attributable to different compilers. The overarching objective is to present a holistic panorama of Sino-Vietnamese bilingual dictionaries from the Middle Ages to the Modern Ages, thereby laying a solid groundwork for subsequent scholarly inquiry and advancement.