Two academics launch Setswana dictionary of personal names

In a move that has earned them praise from other academics in the linguistics fraternity, two lecturers from the University of Botswana’s humanities faculty have published a dictionary of Setswana first names – the first of its kind in the Southern African region, according to Dr Goabilwe Nnanishie Ramaeba, one of the authors.

The dictionary, titled A Dictionary of Setswana Personal Names, is the culmination of years of research, according to an article on the University of Botswana (UB) website.

According to co-author Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe, the dictionary is similar to the Oxford Dictionary of First Names which contains approximately 6,000 names. Otlogetswe and Ramaeba’s dictionary, however, contains a whopping 8,500 names.

Linguists praise the project

Professor Shole Shole, formerly of the University of South Africa (UNISA), said the dictionary was a great contribution to research in the linguistics fraternity and that the authors had introduced Setswana names to the international stage, thus making it possible for Setswana names to be used in foreign countries.

Another retired academic, Professor Andy Chebanne – a former linguistics lecturer at UB – said the dictionary was well structured. In the article on the UB website, he emphasised the need to digitise the dictionary which is currently available in hard copy format.

The two authors of the Setswana personal names dictionary are renowned academics in the field of linguistics. Otlogetswe boasts a master of philosophy in general linguistics and a doctorate in corpus lexicography, among other educational qualifications, according to his profile on the UB website. His main research areas include semantics and statistical analysis of language.

Among other educational qualifications, Ramaeba has an MA in English language and linguistics and a PhD in the same study area. Her profile on the UB website says semantics, morphology and phonology are among her key teaching and research areas.

To better understand the motivation behind publishing the dictionary and the research journey undertaken by the authors, University World News spoke to Ramaeba.

UWN: What is the meaning of ‘personal name’ in your dictionary?

GNR: The term ‘personal name’ as used in the dictionary refers to a name borne by a person as a first name, birth name, middle name, or surname. The dictionary does not distinguish between a first name and a surname. This is because an individual’s surname in Setswana was once someone else’s first name.

UWN: What inspired you to work on the personal names dictionary?

GNR: The publication was inspired by the need for a repository of Setswana personal names. The names are meaningful and mirror different aspects of the lives of the Batswana. They are repositories of Tswana people’s personal and societal experiences. This publication hopes to contribute to the documentation of Setswana personal names, preservation of the Setswana language, and provide insight into the Setswana naming tradition.

UWN: Do you know of similar dictionaries in Africa or this is the first of its kind on the continent?

GNR: The only personal names dictionary that we are aware of in Africa is A Dictionary of Yoruba Personal Names by Babalola [and Alaba] (2006). As far as we know, this is the first dictionary of its kind in the Southern African region. Around the world, the United Kingdom has a much more vibrant culture of documenting personal names reflected in publications such as the Oxford Dictionary of First Names and the Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames.

UWN: How does the dictionary contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of linguistics?

GNR: This dictionary is an interface of corpus linguistics, lexicography, and onomastics. It demonstrates how different branches of linguistics interrelate and can be infused successfully to produce incredible pieces of work. This is also motivation to linguists in different branches of linguistics to collaborate and produce cutting-edge research that is relevant to their communities and promotes and preserves their native languages and cultures.

UWN: Do you think the publication of the dictionary is relevant in the decolonisation of the education discourse?

GNR: Most definitely. The publication of this dictionary is a celebration of Batswana culture and an affirmation of Setswana personal names as essential elements of African identity. African names are at the heart of the decolonisation project. They are the principal tools of reference and identity.

UWN: What plans do you have to ensure the dictionary is widely accessible?

GNR: The dictionary is currently available from Botswana bookshops. The plan is to have it widely distributed across the world. We are currently shipping it from the UB to different parts of the world. There is a long-term plan to have the dictionary online on a website as well as a mobile application.

UWN: What were some of the challenges you faced when you were constructing the dictionary and how did you overcome them?

GNR: Our database has millions of Setswana personal names, each worthy of having been part of the dictionary. However, we could not include every name. We had to do a frequency analysis to decide on the names that eventually made it into the dictionary. We settled on names with high frequencies, which we translated, including the most common names.

UWN: What form of assistance did you get from the university, the government or private players throughout your work on the dictionary?

GNR: This publication would not have materialised without the help of several organisations and individuals, to whom we are eternally grateful. The UB Office of Research and Development funded the initial stages of the publication. Different schools and the department of curriculum in the Ministry of Education gave us access to their database of student names from examination results records. Other colleagues and students at the UB also helped in various roles towards this publication.

UWN: Are there prospects to release more editions of the dictionary in the future?

GNR: Yes, most definitely. We aim to have another edition in the next few years, with an increased number of entries from the current 8,500 to more than 20,000 names.

UWN: Do you think there is still use for hard-copy dictionaries?

GNR: Oh, definitely. Many book readers are attached to their printed books. They still prize their book collections and personal libraries. Electronic books have their place, but they haven’t successfully replaced the printed book.