‘Un minestrone di feudalesimo, capitalismo e revisionismo’ : lo Xiandai hanyu cidian 现代汉语词典 tra rivoluzione, sovversione e reazione

In 1973, a ‘trial edition’ of the Xiandai hanyu cidian 现代汉语词典, one of the most authoritative dictionaries of modern standard Chinese, was printed in the People’s Republic of China. In 1974, this edition was harshly criticised by some of the most extremist political figures of the time because of its alleged reactionary contents. Drawing from Chinese texts published in the 1970s, this paper intends to present the debate surrounding the ‘trial edition’ of the dictionary. The purpose of the paper is thus to show how the interrelation between China’s political and cultural fields influenced lexicographical activities, and how the criticisms directed at the dictionary and the lexicographers reflected the political struggles within the political leadership of the time.