Proverbs as illustrative examples in a Tshiven.a bilingual dictionary: A reflection of meaning and culture

Abstract

Illustrative examples are defining devices that illustrate the use of a word. They serve to illustrate thegrammatical behaviour and semantic usage of the lexical item. In a bilingual dictionary, illustrativeexamples show the words in a live context, thereby enhancing the user's understanding of the meaningof the lexical item in the foreign language. The absence of examples usually results in a severe loweringof the standard of the dictionary (Zgusta, 1971), especially in a bilingual dictionary. A lexicographercan use either phrases or sentences, or both, to illustrate the meaning of lexical items. Van Warmelo(1989), in his bilingual dictionary, Venda Dictionary: Tshivenḓa – English, uses both phrases andsentences to enhance the user's understanding of the meaning of a lexical item. In addition to phrasesand sentences, the lexicographer also uses proverbs and riddles as illustrative examples. This articleseeks to address the question: Why does Van Warmelo use proverbs as a device to illustrate the useof a lexical item in context? The aim of the article is to exemplify the use of proverbs as illustrativeexamples in enhancing the user's understanding of both the meaning of lexical units and the Tshivenḓaculture in Van Warmelo's bilingual dictionary.