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Abbreviations and acronyms : the case of Tlhalosi ya Medi ya Setswana

Lexikos, 2015-01, Vol.25 (1), p.233-245 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

Copyright Buro van die Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (Bureau of the WAT) 2015 ;ISSN: 1684-4904 ;EISSN: 2224-0039 ;DOI: 10.5788/25-1-1297

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  • Title:
    Abbreviations and acronyms : the case of Tlhalosi ya Medi ya Setswana
  • Author: Mathangwane, Joyce T.
  • Subjects: Abbreviations ; Acronyms ; Afkortings ; African languages ; Afrikatale ; Akronieme ; Bantu languages ; Definitions ; Dictionaries ; Dictionary ; Eentalig ; English language ; Franse akronieme ; French acronyms ; Klem ; Leksikograwe ; Lemmas ; Lexicographers ; Lexicon ; Monolingual ; Polls & surveys ; Pronunciation ; Semantic properties ; Semantiese eienskappe ; Stress ; Tone ; Toon ; Uitspraak ; Woordeboek
  • Is Part Of: Lexikos, 2015-01, Vol.25 (1), p.233-245
  • Description: This paper looks at how abbreviations and acronyms are treated in African language dictionaries in general compared to selected mainstream English dictionaries. Specifically, the study looks at their treatment in T.J. Otlogetswe's (2012) Tlhalosi ya Medi ya Setswana dictionary. Altogether, a survey of twenty selected dictionaries was carried out examining the treatment of abbreviations and acronyms in these dictionaries. Ten of these dictionaries are mainstream English dictionaries and the remaining ten are dictionaries of varied African languages spoken in the Southern African region e.g. Shona, Ndebele, Venda, Setswana and Northern Sotho. The study addresses four questions: (a) whether African lexicographers include abbreviations and acronyms in their dictionaries as is practice in mainstream English dictionaries; (b) if so, how these have been treated; (c) what linguistic features are highlighted in these entries, if any; and, (d) what recommendation the study makes for the way forward. The results showed that in most of the African dictionaries in the survey, unlike in main-stream English dictionaries, abbreviations and acronyms are not included despite the fact that many of them are coined and used by native speakers of these languages. An exception is Otlogetswe (2012) with a list of 25 abbreviations and acronyms. The paper recommends that African lexicographers include abbreviations and acronyms as part of their lexicon because these lexical items are coined by the communities making them part of the vocabulary of the language. Users of these dictionaries should find entries of abbreviations and acronyms in these dictionaries whenever they want to confirm the meaning, or when teaching. Afkortings en akronieme : die voorbeeld van Tlhalosi ya Medi ya Setswana. Hierdie artikel kyk na hoe afkortings en akronieme oor die algemeen hanteer word in Afrikataalwoordeboeke in vergelyking met verkose hoofstroom Engelse woordeboeke. Spesifiek word gekyk na die hantering daarvan in T.J. Otlogetswe (2012) se woordeboek Tlhalosi ya Medi ya Setswana. 'n Ondersoek na die hantering van afkortings en akronieme in altesaam twintig verkose woordeboeke is uitgevoer. Tien van hierdie woordeboeke is hoofstroom Engelse woorde-boeke en die res is woordeboeke van verskillende Afrikatale wat in Suider-Afrika gepraat word, bv. Shona, Ndebele, Venda, Setswana en Noord-Sotho. Die studie spreek vier kwessies aan: (a) of Afrikataalleksikograwe afkortings en akronieme in hul woordeboeke insluit soos wat by hoof-stroom Engelse woordeboeke die gebruik is; (b) indien wel, hoe hulle hanteer is; (c) watter linguistiese kenmerke, indien enige, in hierdie inskrywings beklemtoon word; en, (d) watter aanbevelings hierdie studie vir die pad vorentoe maak. Die resultate het getoon dat afkortings en akronieme in die meeste Afrikataalwoordeboeke in die ondersoek, anders as in hoofstroom Engelse woordeboeke, nie opgeneem is nie, alhoewel baie van hulle deur moedertaalsprekers van hierdie tale geskep is en gebruik word. 'n Uitsondering is Otlogetswe (2012) met 'n lys van 25 afkortings en akronieme. In hierdie artikel word aanbeveel dat Afrikataalleksikograwe afkortings en akronieme as deel van hul leksikon insluit, aangesien hierdie leksikale items geskep is deur gemeenskappe wat hulle deel maak van die woordeskat van die taal. Gebruikers van hierdie woordeboeke behoort inskrywings van afkortings en akronieme in dié woordeboeke te vind wanneer hulle die betekenis daarvan naslaan of hulle tydens onderrig raad-pleeg.
  • Publisher: Stellenbosch: Bureau of the WAT
  • Language: English;Afrikaans
  • Identifier: ISSN: 1684-4904
    EISSN: 2224-0039
    DOI: 10.5788/25-1-1297
  • Source: African Journals Online (Open Access)
    ProQuest Central
    DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
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