Sabinet | Lost and found : the value of a little known bilingual dictionary towards the intellectualization of Ndau
n Lexikos - Lost and found : the value of a little known bilingual dictionary towards the intellectualization of Ndau
Author Emmanuel Sithole1 and Dion Nkomo1
Source : Lexikos, Volume 27 Number 1, 2017, p. 478 - 493
Keyword(s) : Amptelik erkende tale, Chindau, Chindau vocabulary, Chindau-woordeskat, Dictionaries, Gemarginaliseerde tale, Language intellectualization, Marginalized languages, Missionary lexicography, Ndau, Ndau lexicography, Ndau orthography, Ndau-leksikografie, Ndau-ortografie, Officially-recognized languages, Sendingleksikografie, Taalintellektualisering, Woordeboeke, Zimbabwean lexicography and Zimbabwiese leksikografie
This article critically evaluates the ChiNdau–English and English–ChiNdau Vocabulary: With Grammatical Notes, a bilingual dictionary published in 1915 by the American Board Mission (Rhodesian Branch), with a view of determining its suitability for use as a point of departure for modern Ndau lexicography. More than a century after its publication, it remains the only diction-ary in the language. The language has been treated as a dialect of Shona for close to a century, until its emergence as one of the country's sixteen officially-recognized languages in the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe. This landmark development requires practical work that can transform Ndau into a fully-fledged and intellectualized language. Lexicography is one of the key intellectual enter-prises that can contribute in this regard. It is therefore the contention of this article that the existing dictionary be considered as a vital point of reference for future lexicographic work in Ndau. An analysis of various aspects of the dictionary indicate that, notwithstanding some limitations, this dictionary indeed managed to set some standards that may be incorporated in current and future lexicographic works in this less documented language.
Verlore en gevind : die waarde van 'n taamlik onbekende tweetalige woordeboek rakende die intellektualisering van Ndau.
In hierdie artikel word die ChiNdau–English and English–ChiNdau Vocabulary: With Grammatical Notes, 'n tweetalige woordeboek wat in 1915 deur die American Board Mission se Rhodesiese tak gepubliseer is, krities beoordeel ten einde die toepaslikheid daarvan vir gebruik as 'n vertrekpunt vir die moderne Ndau-leksikografie te bepaal. Meer as 'n eeu ná die publikasie daarvan is dit steeds die enigste woordeboek in die taal. Die taal is vir ongeveer 'n honderd jaar behandel as 'n dialek van Shona totdat dit in 2013 in die Grondwet van Zimbabwe as een van die land se sestien amptelik erkende tale verklaar is. Hierdie belangrike gebeurtenis vereis praktiese werk ten einde Ndau in 'n volledige en geïntellektualiseerde taal te omskep. Leksikografie is een van die deurslaggewende intellektuele ondernemings wat hiertoe kan bydra. Dit is dus die betoog van hierdie artikel dat die bestaande woordeboek beskou word as 'n onmisbare uitgangspunt vir toekomstige leksikografiese werk in Ndau. 'n Ontleding van verskeie aspekte van die woordeboek toon dat hierdie woordeboek ten spyte van sommige beperkings inderdaad daarin geslaag het om sekere standaarde te stel wat in huidige en toekomstige leksikografiese werke in hierdie minder gedokumenteerde taal ingesluit kan word.
Persistent Link : https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-bdbffe1de