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Item Can Redda be worn by men? A review of A Dictionary of Sri Lankan English.(The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Hettiarachchi, H.V.A.Sri Lankan English (SLE) is regarded as a newly Institutionalized variety of English, with its unique, phonological, morphological, syntactic features capable of representing the unique socio-cultural and linguistic circumstances of the Sri Lankan speech community. Language codification is regarded as one of the most significant aspects in the institutionalization process of world Englishes, and Michael Meyler‟s A Dictionary of Sri Lankan English (2007) is one of the most elaborate codification attempts of SLE where the lexical items in the dictionary are perceived as the standard usages of SLE, since codification is misconstrued as an attempt in legitimizing a language variety as the standard. However given the codifiers position as an “outsider” (Meyler 2007, p. x), where it could be assumed that he essentially lacks comprehensive knowledge on the socio-cultural, political and linguistic facets of the Sri Lankan speech community, the credibility of the codification process is challenged. Therefore, utilizing theoretical methodologies of reflexivity and positionality, this study attempts at offering the perspective of an insider, who is familiar with the socio-cultural, political and linguistic facets of the Sri Lankan community, on the codified vocabulary of SLE in A Dictionary of SLE. The study provides a subjective insider perspective on, the accuracy of the meaning and recorded usages, possible alterations to the meaning and alternative usages, and the insider‟s ability to provide a more nuanced understanding of the lexical entries as a socially, politically, economically and linguistically situated researcher. The study establishes the ability of the insider to comprehend and critically reflect on the socio-cultural, political and linguistic undertones of the SLE lexical items through the analysis of words including, baila, devil dance, betel tray, pandan, redda and pirith, where it was identified that the codifier has been privy only to the denotative meaning of the lexical items. The study ultimately attempts at contributing to the discourse on Sri Lankan English which highlight the need for“active broadening of the standard to include the greatest variety possible” (Parakrama, 1995).Item An insider perspective on Michael Meyler’s codification of Sri Lankan English Vocabulary: Towards a broadening of the standard.(International Conference on the Humanities (ICH), 2017 Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Hettiarachchi, H. V. A.Defined as “the language used by Sri Lankans who choose to use English for whatever purpose in Sri Lanka” (Gunesekera. 2005, P.11), Sri Lankan English is regarded as a newly institutionalized variety of English, with its distinctive phonological, morphological, and syntactic features capable of representing the unique socio-cultural and linguistic circumstances of the Sri Lankan speech community. Language codification is regarded as one of the most significant aspects in the institutionalization process of world Englishes, and mirisgala.net; the digitized, extended and an updated, up-to-date version of Michael Meyler’s A Dictionary of Sri Lankan English (2007), is considered one of the “very first steps” (Mendis, 2007) towards an elaborate codification attempt of Sri Lankan English. Though Meyler himself has highlighted that his dictionary is not intended as a prescriptive work but a descriptive one where his intention was to describe the way in which the English language is used in Sri Lanka, without attempting to make any judgment on whether it is ‘correct’” (Meyler, 2007), given that codification attempts are traditionally regarded as an attempt in legitimizing a language variety as the standard, there is the danger that meaning, spelling, and usage of codified lexical items in mirisgala.net to be perceived as standard and acceptable usages of Sri Lankan English. This situation is further intensified given the digital nature of the mirisgala.net dictionary with increased and flexible knowledge sharing, while allowing the lexicographer to update and upgrade the printed version anytime, “leaving the text malleable” (Earhart, 2012). However, given the codifier’s position as an “outsider” (Meyler 2007, p. x), where he essentially lacks comprehensive knowledge on the socio-cultural, political and linguistic facets of the Sri Lankan speech community, the credibility of the codification process is challenged and the inadequacy of insider’s perspective on codified Sri Lankan English vocabulary is underscored. Further, given that Meyler’s “outsider status” significantly hinders him from acquiring in-depth insights into the English language usage of the “majority “non-elite” average Sri Lankan English speakers”, whose English language usage is noticeably influenced by their L1 native language varieties, Meyler’s codification attempts display a propensity towards the codification of the language used by the “anglicized Colombo English speaking elite minority” where a noticeable lack of representation of the non-elite variety of the language is observed.Therefore, the research will attempt to identify how the outsider status of the lexicographer has affected the codification process, the existence or non-existence of a binary as “outsider” and “insider”, the specific aspects of the vocabulary in the dictionary which are limited by the outsider’s perspective and the effect of the digitized version in the codification process. Accordingly, this research study will utilize theoretical methodologies of reflexivity and positionality to offer a subjective perspective of an insider, who is linguistically, politically and culturally positioned within the Sri Lankan Sinhala Buddhist community, on the codified vocabulary of Sri Lankan English on mirisgala.net, in an attempt to contribute to the discourse on the need to broaden the standard of Sri Lankan English.