On the Development of Bilingual Dictionaries in South Africa: Aspects of Dictionary Culture and Government Policy
International Journal of Lexicography, (2007)Abstract
Looking at the development of bilingual dictionaries in South Africa this article discusses the change from an externally to an internally motivated process. It is shown how the lexicographers of some of the early bilingual dictionaries with Afrikaans as one of the treated languages had aims that included more than a mere linguistic description. The role of bilingual dictionaries in the standardisation of Afrikaans and in the establishment of a dictionary culture within the Afrikaans speech community is discussed and special attention is given to the early dominance of bilingual dictionaries. Reference is made to the ongoing influence of bilingual dictionaries, in spite of an often insufficient planning. New projects and innovative lexicographic endeavours are discussed with the focus on official government involvement in the lexicographic process. Emphasis is also placed on the importance of future lexicographic links between Afrikaans and the indigenous African languages and the influence of government policy on recent lexicographic developments.