Yay! The Oxford English Dictionary recognises Hong Kong’s local identity, adding the words Hongkonger and Hong Kongese to their dictionary.
The dictionary describes a Hongkonger and Hong Kongese to be “a native or inhabitant of Hong Kong.”
The first known use of the word Hongkonger was in 1870, when Californian newspaper, Daily Independent, described the inhabitants of the then British-ruled Hong Kong. Hong Kongese is already in the Collins Dictionary.
Lawmakers and cultural critics believe that it is great that the dictionary is aware of the city’s anti-mainlandisation campaign and happy that at an international stage people recognise that Hongkongers are culturally and politically distinct from the mainland.
Source: SCMP
Photo: Jacksoncam, Flickr
