Reflections on the Proposed Ndebele–Shona/Shona–Ndebele Dictionary

  • Samukele Hadebe African Languages and Literature, University of Zimbabwe, Harare

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The master plan of the ALLEX Project includes a Ndebele–Shona/Shona–Ndebele dictionary in its proposed dictionary projects. Bilingual dictionaries are common in Zimbabwe, especially earlier ones with the language pairs English–Ndebele/Shona and vice versa. The pro-posed Ndebele–Shona/Shona–Ndebele dictionary, however, raises some interesting challenges. It will be a different kind of bilingual dictionary in which two African languages, Ndebele and Shona form the language pair. In this article, it will be shown how different dictionary types for both Ndebele and Shona reflect the intentions of Zimbabwean language planners from different periods. A Ndebele–Shona/Shona–Ndebele dictionary, unimaginable to many, raises several questions, among others: Who needs such a dictionary? Who are the target users of such a dictionary? In addressing some of these questions, it will be attempted to show how the proposed Ndebele–Shona/Shona–Ndebele dictionary reflects the language planning needs of present-day Zimbabwe.Keywords: BILINGUAL DICTIONARY, MONOLINGUAL DICTIONARY, NDEBELE, SHONA, NDEBELE–SHONA/SHONA–NDEBELE DICTIONARY, LANGUAGE PLANNING, LANGUAGE POLICY, LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, SOCIOLINGUISTICS, ATTITUDES, REFERENCE NEEDS, USER NEEDS*****OPSOMMING: Gedagtes oor die voorgestelde Ndebele-Sjona/Sjona–Ndebe-lewoordeboek. Die totaalplan van die ALLEX-projek sluit 'n Ndebele–Sjona/Sjona–Ndebele-woordeboek by sy voorgestelde woordeboekprojekte in. Tweetalige woordeboeke is algemeen in Zimbabwe, veral vroeëres met die taalpare Engels–Ndebele/Sjona en andersom. Die voorgestelde Ndebele–Sjona/Sjona–Ndebelewoordeboek stel egter 'n aantal interessante uitdagings. Dit is 'n andersoortige tweetalige woordeboek waarin twee Afrikatale, Ndebele en Sjona, die taalpaar uit-maak. In hierdie artikel sal aangetoon word hoe verskillende woordeboeksoorte vir sowel Ndebele as Sjona die bedoelings van Zimbabwiese taalbeplanners van verskillende periodes weerspieël. 'n Ndebele–Sjona/Sjona–Ndebelewoordeboek, ondenkbaar vir baie, stel verskeie vrae, onder andere: Wie benodig so 'n woordeboek? Wie is die teikengebruikers van so 'n woordeboek? By die be-skouing van sommige van hierdie vrae sal probeer word om aan te toon hoe die voorgestelde Nde-bele–Sjona/Sjona–Ndebelewoordeboek die taalbeplanningsbehoeftes van die huidige Zimbabwe weerspieël.Sleutelwoorde: TWEETALIGE WOORDEBOEK, EENTALIGE WOORDEBOEK, NDEBELE, SJONA, NDEBELE–SJONA/SJONA–NDEBELEWOORDEBOEK, TAALBEPLANNING, TAAL-BELEID, TAALONTWIKKELING, SOSIOLINGUISTIEK, HOUDINGS, NASLAANBEHOEFTES, GEBRUIKERSBEHOEFTES 
Published
2011-10-20
How to Cite
Hadebe, S. (2011). Reflections on the Proposed Ndebele–Shona/Shona–Ndebele Dictionary. Lexikos, 15. https://doi.org/10.5788/15-0-17
Section
Lexikonotas/Lexiconotes