The twin-island nation of Trinidad & Tobago has a complex history that has resulted in a unique English language, shaped by all members of its multi-ethnic community: the original Amerindian inhabitants, the European colonizers, the Africans - enslaved, free, and indentured - as well as the peoples of India, Portugal, and China. Migration from many Caribbean areas has created both similarities and differences between the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago and the varieties spoken elsewhere.

Using the historical principles of the Oxford English Dictionary, Lise Winer presents the first scholarly dictionary of this unique language. The dictionary comprises over 12,200 entries, including over 4500 for flora and fauna alone, with numerous cross-references. Entries include definitions, alternative spellings, pronunciations, etymologies, grammatical information, and illustrative citations of usage. Winer draws from a wide range of sources - newspapers, literature, scientific reports, sound recordings of songs and interviews, spoken language - to provide a wealth and depth of language, clearly situated within a historical, cultural, and social context.

An essential reference for all Trinbagonians, this dictionary will also prove a fascinating volume to all who are interested in their language - linguists, literary scholars and students, translators, researchers, historians, scientists, and travelers.