A Dictionary of South African English on historical principles
By: managing editor, Penny Silva ; editors, Wendy Dore ... [et al.].
Contributors: Silva, Penny.; Rhodes University. Dictionary Unit for South African English.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, in Association with the Dictionary Unit for South African English
Published: 1996
Place of publication: [Oxford; New York]
Language: eng; mul
Number of pages: 825
Subjects: English language -- South Africa -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc; English language -- Dialects -- South Africa -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc; South Africa -- Languages -- Dictionaries
Description: A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles provides a unique historical record of the development of English in a multilingual and multicultural society. The result of the fullest and most detailed research ever undertaken into the history of English in South Africa, it documents the English language as it has developed within all of the country's communities.

Coverage extends from the sixteenth century right up to the present day, providing fascinating information about the country's history, as well as revealing the unique character of today's South Africa and its people.

47,000 quotations illustrate 5,000 entries covering all forms of the written word, historical and contemporary, as well as the spoken word of broadcasting and everyday conversation. The Dictionary records words derived from the many languages which have influenced English in South Africa, including Dutch/Afrikaans, and the Malayo-Indonesian, Indian, Khoisan, Nguni, and Sotho languages.

A wide range of everyday words and phrases is listed, including brinjal (aubergine), bakkie (small truck), bond (mortgage), robot (traffic light), and on a tickey (accurately). Coverage also includes children's language (dabbies, ghoen, and schloep), soldiers' slang (roofie and vasbyt), the language of the townships (mellow yellow, spaza, and stokvel), local music vocabulary (kwela, mbaqanga, and sakkie-sakkie), and mining terms (cocopan, cheesa-stick, mine-dump, and blue-ground).

The official language of apartheid is explored in detail with entries such as group areas, endorse out, and immorality.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [811]-825).
Compiled at the Dictionary Unit for South African English at Rhodes University--Cf. jkt flap.