Sabinet | The contribution of missionaries to Shona lexicography : lexiconotes
n Lexikos - The contribution of missionaries to Shona lexicography : lexiconotes
Author Advice Viriri
Source : Lexikos, Volume 14, Issue 1, Jan 2004, p. 349 - 358
Keyword(s) : African languages research institute (ALRI), Bilingual dictionary, Cobuild, Colonialism, Cultural imperialism, Culture, Eentalige woordeboek, Influence, Invloed, Kolonialisme, Kulturele imperialisme, Kultuur, Leksikografie, Lexicography, Missionary, Monolingual dictionary, Sendeling, Shona dictionary, Shona proverbs, Sjonaspreekwoorde, Sjonawoordeboek, Standaard ortografie, Standard orthography, Translation, Tweetalige woordeboek and Vertaling
Die bydrae van sendelinge tot die Sjonaleksikografie
Die artikel bespreek die ontwikkelinge in Sjonaleksikografie gedurende die koloniale tydperk en die bydrae gemaak deur die sendelinge in die algemeen en Vader M. Hannan in die besonder, wat later uitgeloop het op die voortgaande proses van die samestelling van eentalige woordeboeke deur die African Languages Research Institute (ALRI) (waarin die ALLEX-projek omskep is). Die sendelinge het verskillende metodes gebruik wat nie net die begin van &apos;n ekonomies uitbuitende verhouding tussen "the West and the rest of us" ingelui het nie, maar ook bykomende kulturele gevolge gehad het (Dathorne 1975: 3). Hul motiewe betreffende die ontwikkeling van Afrikaliteratuur in die algemeen en Zimbabwiese leksikografiese werk in die besonder was primÃªr evangeliserend en nie om skeppende skryfwerk te bevorder nie. Dit het veroorsaak dat Vader Hannan probleme ondervind het nie net by sy vertaling van die Shona Bible nie, maar ook in sy Standard Shona Dictionary. Hannan word gebruik as voorbeeld omdat sy vertaalprobleme tipies was van dié wat alle sendelinge ervaar het. Hannan se woordeboek was &apos;n welkome nuwe ontwikkeling wat die ortografie gebruik wat in 1931 ingevoer en in 1955 hersien is. Die doel van sy woordeboek was "to record Shona words in Standard Shona spelling" (Hannan 1959: ix). Hannan se woordeboek het &apos;n aansienlike bydrae gelewer tot die standaardisering van die Sjonaortografie.
The article discusses the developments in Shona lexicography during the colonial era and the contribution made by the missionaries in general and Father M. Hannan in particular which later resulted in the on-going process of compiling monolingual dictionaries by the African Languages Research Institute (ALRI) (into which the ALLEX project has been transformed). The missionaries employed various methods that did not only signal the beginning of an economically exploitative relationship between "the West and the rest of us" but also had ancillary cultural consequences (Dathorne 1975: 3). Their motives towards the development of African literature in general and Zimbabwean lexicographic work in particular were primarily evangelical and not to further creative writing. This caused Father Hannan to experience problems not only in his translation of the Shona Bible but also in his Standard Shona Dictionary. Hannan is used as an example because his translation problems were typical of those experienced by all missionaries. Hannan&apos;s dictionary was a welcome new development using the orthography introduced in 1931 and revised in 1955. The aim of his dictionary was "to record Shona words in Standard Shona spelling" (Hannan 1959: ix). Hannan&apos;s dictionary has made a considerable contribution to standardising Shona orthography.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC60480