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The Univen Tshivenda Lexicology Unit staff with the new batch of dictionaries they recently released. From left to right are Ms Avhudzani Mantsha, Ms Mulalo Takalani, Mr Shumani Tshikota (head of the project), Ms Nthuseni Mukundamago and Ms Fulufhelo Mukosi (Photo supplied).

Three Tshivenda dictionaries available

 

The head of the Tshivenda National Lexicology Unit (TNLU) at the University of Venda, Mr Shumani Tshikota, said the unit had distributed hundreds of copies of the three new Tshivenda dictionaries to many institutions and schools in the country.

He  has, however, cited budget constraints as limiting them in their aims.

In an interview with this paper, Tshikota said it took them three years to complete the recent project. This project included two bilingual dictionaries,  one with idioms and the other one of proverbs in Tshivenda and English, while the third is a monolingual dictionary of  the Tshivenda language. He added that the monolingual dictionary is the first of its kind in the history of the Venda people.

"As a unit we completed another project in 2006, the first of its kind and called Thalusamaipfi  ya Tshivenda in Tshivenda and English. The three new dictionaries have been written to meet the needs of students, language practitioners, translators and those who are in the academic field," he said.

He added that the unit had so far printed 1 500 copies and had given 339 copies to 113 selected schools around the Vhembe district and about 210 copies to a few selected individuals as complementary copies. "The dictionaries will contribute much to the development and the preservation of the Tshivenda language. Currently, we are busy with a dictionary of cultural items in Tshivenda," he said.

He said among the finished dictionary products are Tshivenda Terminology List No 3 (revised edition), Thalusamirero ya Tshivenda, a bilingual dictionary in Tshivenda and English and a bilingual dictionary in Tshivenda and Afrikaans.

All the dictionary products will be launched next year around October, when the TNLU will be celebrating its 12 years of existence at Univen.

News - Date: 25 June 2012

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Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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