AUTHOR makes a remarkable contribution to language and culture.
Vonani Bila (53), an author and poet from Shirley Village near Elim in Limpopo, has gifted the Xitsonga-speaking community and the world with the first English-Xitsonga dictionary, Xilamulelamhanga (The Rescuer).
After eight years in development, the 1 348-page dictionary was officially released on 5 April.
Vonani, who lectures in English at the University of Limpopo, collaborated with renowned poet Dr Max Marhanele and a team of teachers and language experts to bring the project to fruition.
The dictionary aims to assist readers in translating English into standard Xitsonga.
It includes general vocabulary and specialised terms from fields such as medicine, agriculture, computing, business, and law.
South African English terms and informal expressions were also incorporated to better reflect local usage.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Vonani highlighted the urgent need for such a resource.
"We realised that such a resource was a rarity. Without doing it ourselves, there was no way other people would do it for us with the same commitment," he said.
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He said the dictionary would help pupils understand their subjects and improve their academic performance.
"We believe this dictionary will help users communicate more effectively and assist learners in understanding their subjects and improving their marks."
Echoing Bila's sentiments, co-author Dr Marhanele said: "It avoids dialects, opting instead for standard Xitsonga to ensure consistency. For words without direct translations, we included explanations or borrowed terms."
The authors emphasised that the dictionary aims to keep the Xitsonga language relevant and protect it from extinction, a fate faced by many other indigenous African languages.
In addition, the dictionary is expected to expand Xitsonga's influence beyond the arts and religion, strengthening its application in education, business, law, and science.
The editorial team included Masocha Lubisi, Hlamalani Vukela, Lilian Bilankulu, and Mkomati Mongwe.
The afterword was contributed by Proffesor Tinyiko Maluleke, vice-chancellor of Tshwane University of Technology.
The dictionary also features idioms, set phrases, borrowed words, and contemporary terms.
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