An Iu-Mienh — English Dictionary is the largest and most comprehensive dictionary of the Iu-Mienh language to date, compiled by Herbert C. Purnell over more than twenty years. This volume is based on the spoken Iu-Mienh language of Thailand and Laos, drawing from a 1.3-million-word corpus. It contains 5,600 main entries, 28,000 subentries, 21,000 cultural notes, 5,000 example sentences, and 4,500 usage/register/idiom notes, along with six appendices covering topics such as numbers, names, kinship, and the 60-year calendar cycle.

The dictionary's most distinctive feature is its extensive cultural notes, which illuminate nearly every aspect of traditional Iu-Mienh life—including beliefs, rituals, clothing, cuisine, marriage customs, embroidery, folklore, poetry, and riddles. A revised and greatly expanded edition of the 1968 Yao-English Dictionary, the project narrowly survived a devastating 1993 fire that destroyed Purnell's home along with most of his manuscripts and computer data; only copies preserved by collaborators allowed the work to be completed. Praised by scholars as "a monumental achievement" and "a lasting treasure for Iu-Mienh culture and language," this dictionary serves both as an essential resource for Iu-Mienh families seeking to preserve their heritage and as a standard reference for linguists and anthropologists.

2012, Thailand, Silkworm Books, hardcover, 896 pp., as new.