A critical evaluation of the presentation of data categories in Tshivenda dictionaries

Abstract

Preservation and development have been in the minds of those who wrote Tshivenḓa dictionaries. The writing of these dictionaries involve the presentation of different data categories which will assist learners and users in retrieving information from dictionaries. The presentation of data categories in these dictionaries is of crucial importance in the retrieval of meaning. The objective of this paper is to investigate the user-friendliness of Tshivenḓa dictionaries in terms of these selected data categories such as the phonetic, etymological, semantic and illustrative data. This paper seeks to find whether the inclusion of these data categories help learners and users in the retrieval of information and meaning in the selected dictionaries. The results of this study will help in planning future dictionary projects involving the compilation of Tshivenḓa dictionaries by Tshivenḓa National Lexicography Unit.

Keywords: Phonetic Data, Etymological Data, Semantic Data, Illustrative Data