Author: Respect Mlambo (SADiLaR Xitsonga Researcher)
This blog is about the historical background of Xitsonga lexicography. It displays the various writers who contributed to Xitsonga’s lexicography. It also highlights the gaps that still remain in the lexicography of Xitsonga.
Vutshila bya vutsari bya dikixinari byi sungurile malembendzhaku ku fana na vutsari byin’wana. Ku vile na matsalwa lama tumbuluxiweke tanihi masungulo ma vutsari bya dikixinari eka tindzimi to hambanahambana ta misava. Eka Xitsonga, dikixinari yo sungula ya Xitsonga yi kandziyisiwile hi lembe ra 1907 leyi vuriwaka English-Tsonga Dictionary na Tsonga-English Dictionary Pocket Dictionary. Ku sukela loko yi kandziyisiwile dikixinari leyi yi kumekile yi antswisiwa ko hlaya naswona ro hetelela hi loko yi ta antwisiwa na ku kandziyisiwa hi va ka Sasavona Publishers and Booksellers hi lembe ra 2008. Mhaka nkoka hi dikixinari leyi hileswaku endzhaku ko antwisiwa hi va ka Sasavona Publishers and Booksellers yi kumekile yi engeteriwile swiphemu swa nkoka swa ntivoririmi leswi eka nkandziyiso wo sungula a swi nga ri kona.
Hi 1967, Cuenod u yile emahlweni a hluvukisa vutsari bya tidikixinari eka Xitsonga hi ku kandziyisa dikixinari ya tindzimi timbirhi leyi tivekaka hi Tsonga-English Dictionary. Mutsari un’wana loyi a hoxeke xandla eka vutsari bya tidikixinari eka Xitsonga i K.B. Hartshone hi 1983, yena u tsarile dikixinari leyi yi thyiweke Dictionary of Basic English leyi yi nga tsariwa marito hi Xinghezi lama nga tlhela ma hlamuseriwa hi Xitsonga. Vatsari lava boxiweke laha henhla hinkwavo a hi vinyi va ririmi leri ra Xitsonga.
Ku cinca lokukulu eka vutsari bya tidikixinari eka Xitsonga ku sungurile ku va kona hi 2005 loko ku tsariwa dikixinari ya tindzimi timbirhi ku nga Xitsonga-Xinghezi Dikixinari hi vaXitsonga National Lexicography Unit (XNLU) leyi yi nga kandziyisiwa hi va Phumelela Books. Hi 2014 vaXitsonga National Lexicography Unit (XNLU) va tlherile va tsala yin’wana dikixinari leyi yona yi nga kandziyisiwa hi va Lingua Franca. Leyi dikixinari i ya ririmi rin’we ku nga Xitsonga naswona hi yona dikixinari yo sungula ya ririmi rin’we eka Xitsonga.
Hi lembe ra 2016 Marhanele, M.M. na Bila V va tsarile dikixinari ririmi rin’we leyi thyiweke Tihlungu ta Rixaka leyi yi kandziyisiwile hi Timbila Poetry Project na Bila Publishers and Communications. Mhaka ya nkoka hi dikixinari leyi i ku va yi nghenisiwile tilema to hlaya leti a ti pfumaleka eka tidikixinari leti rhangeke ti kandziyisiwa. Nkandziyiso wa dikixinari leyi wu voniwile ku ri ku humelela lokukulu eka ku lwisana na nhluvukiso wa Xitsonga hitlhelo ra vutsari bya tidikixinari.
Xo hetelela, vutsari bya tidikixinari eka Xitsonga bya ha salele endzhaku swinene. Leswi swi va tano hikwalaho ka leswi nhlayo ya tidikixinari leti kandziyisiweke yi nga hansi swinene ngopfu naswona ka ha ri na pfumaleko wa le henhla wa tidikixinari leti katsaka tindzimi to hundza timbirhi.