DEVELOPING A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR AN IMPROVED USE OF OUTER TEXTS IN XITSONGA MONOLINGUAL DICTIONARIES Mangalani Joshua Hlongwane Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Lexicography) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof Rufus Hjalmar Gouws March 2021 i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I, declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof, (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction, and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. March 2021 Copyright © 2021 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT The study proposes a theoretical model for the use of outer texts in Xitsonga dictionaries in order to enhance their quality. Dictionaries in African languages have shown a central list bias and outer texts have not been maximally used as venues to accommodate lexicographic data. The statement of the problem the quality of dictionaries in African languages is outlined in Chapter I. The study also presents a brief profile of Xitsonga that could be used as an outer text in Xitsonga dictionaries. Lexicographic theories of dictionary structures, the genuine purpose and lexicographic functions are also discussed. The study also takes a critical look at outer texts in Xitsonga dictionaries complied over the years, and in the last chapter it proposes a model that could be used for outer texts that can be included in both the front matter and back matter sections of these dictionaries. The concept of high frequency usage of words is also introduced in the last chapter. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ﮲﮲ OPSOMMING Hierdie studie bied ’n teoretiese model vir die gebruik van buitetekste in eentalige Xitsonga woordeboeke om die gehalte daarvan te verbeter. Woordeboeke in Afrikatale lewer bewys van ’n partydigheid ten gunste van die sentrale lys waardeur die buitetekste nie maksimaal benut word in die weergawe van leksikografiese data nie. Die probleem van die gehalte van woordeboeke in Afrikatale word in hoofstuk I aangeraak. Die studie bied ook ’n kort beskrywing van Xitsonga. Dit sou ook as buiteteks gebruik kan word in Xitsonga woordeboeke. Leksikografieteorie ten opsigte van woordeboekstrukture, die werklike doel van woordeboeke en leksikografiese funksies word ook bespreek. Die studie kyk ook krities na die buitetekse van bestaande Xitsonga woordeboeke. Die laaste hoofstuk stel ’n model voor wat gebruik kan word om buitetekste in te sluit in sowel die voor- as die agtertekste-afdelings van hierdie woordeboeke. Die konsep van die hoëfrekwensiegebruik van woorde work ook in die laaste hoofstuk bespreek. iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincere gratitude to my promoter, Prof R H Gouws, who made me fall in love with lexicography, and has been very patient with me, as I was only introduced to this field of study at a master's level. I am challenged to be part of a team that compiles Xitsonga dictionaries because of the knowledge you shared with me. Dr M J Baloyi, the current chairperson of the Xitsonga National Lexicographic Unit, thank you so much for putting aside time to look at the initial stages of the study and for your valuable comments. The comments by the editor-in-chief of the Xitsonga National Lexicographic Unit, Dr H T Mashele are much appreciated. Your contribution in lexicography through Towards Corpus Based Dictionaries for Xitsonga will help dictionary compilers produce quality dictionaries. v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DEDICATIONS This study is dedicated to the Almighty God who has given me life that I have received in abundance. My parents, Rev Risimati Francis and Anna Tsatsawani Hlongwane, I could not have asked for better parents. You were not privileged to go to school, but you gave us an opportunity to study. To my siblings, thank you so much for shaping my life in different ways. To my wife Makoti Elizabeth Hlongwane, I appreciate your contribution in my life. My children, Telavukosi, Nxalati, Thembinkosi and Joshua, this is for you. My grandchildren Vunene and Favour, I know you can do better than your grandfather. vi Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION II ABSTRACT III OPSOMMING IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V DEDICATION VI ABBREVIATIONS XIV CHAPTER I 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT 2 1.3. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 5 1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 6 1.4.1 Aim 6 1.4.2 Objectives 6 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 6 1.6 DEFINITIONS OF CONCEPTS 7 1.6.1 Data distribution structure 7 1.6.2 Frame structure 7 1.6.3 Outer texts 7 1.6.4 Genuine purpose 7 1.6.5 Lexicographic functions 7 1.7 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 8 1.8 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY 8 1.9 CONCLUSION 9 vii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za CHAPTER II 10 THE PROFILE OF THE LANGUAGE XITSONGA 10 2.0 INTRODUCTION 10 2.1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF XITSONGA AND VATSONGA 10 2.2 LINGUISTIC CLASSIFICATION OF XITSONGA 11 2.3 DIALECTS OF XITSONGA 13 2.4 THE DEVELOPMENT OF XITSONGA AS A WRITTEN LANGUAGE 14 2.5 THE STATUS OF XITSONGA IN THE DEMOCRATIC SOUTH AFRICA 17 2.6 CONCLUSION 19 CHAPTER: III 21 SOME STRUCTURES OF DICTIONARIES 21 3.0 INTRODUCTION 21 3.1 DATA DISTRIBUTION STRUCTURE 23 3.2 THE FRAME STRUCTURE OF THE DICTIONARY 25 3.2.1 The primary frame structure 26 3.2.2 The secondary frame structure 27 3.3 THE DICTIONARY AS A CARRIER OF TEXT TYPES 28 3.3.1 Textual segmentation 28 3.3.2 Outer texts in dictionaries 29 3.3.2.1 Integrated outer texts 32 3.3.2.2 Non-integrated outer texts 33 3.3.2.3 Function-adhering outer texts 34 3.3.2.4 Integrated function-adhering outer texts and non-integrated function-adhering outer texts 35 3.4 THE FRONT MATTER TEXTS 36 3.4.1 The title page 37 3.4.2 Acknowledgements 37 3.4.3 Tables of contents 38 3.4.4 Preface / foreword and introduction 40 viii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 3.4.5 Guide to the use of the dictionary 41 3.4.6 Summary of the discussion and the importance of front matter texts 43 3.5 THE BACK MATTER TEXTS 44 3.6 CONCLUSION 48 CHAPTER: IV 49 THE GENUINE PURPOSE OF DICTIONARIES AND THE MODERN-DAY THEORY OF LEXICOGRAPHIC FUNCTIONS 49 4.0 INTRODUCTION 49 4.1 LEXICOGRAPHY AS AN INDEPENDENT SCIENCE 49 4.2 THE GENUINE PURPOSE OF THE DICTIONARY 50 4.3 THE THEORY OF LEXICOGRAPHIC FUNCTIONS 53 4.3.1 Lexicographic functions not a completely new phenomenon 54 4.3.2 The importance of lexicographic functions 55 4.3.3 Lexicographic functions: some more detail 56 4.3.4 How is a lexicographic function defined? 58 4.3.5 Types of lexicographic functions 60 4.3.6 The user at the center of lexicographic functions 61 4.3.7 User situations 64 4.3.8 User need 66 4.3.9 Assistance from dictionaries 69 4.4 CONCLUSION 70 CHAPTER: V 71 THE USE OF OUTER TEXTS IN EXISTING LEXICOGRAPHIC WORKS IN XITSONGA 71 5.0 INTRODUCTION. 71 5.1 THE POCKET DICTIONARY THONGA (SHANGAAN)-ENGLISH- THONGA(SHANGAAN) 71 5.2 TSONGA-ENGLISH DICTIONARY 73 ix Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 5.2.1 The front matter section of the Tsonga-English Dictionary 73 5.3. DICTIONARY OF BASIC ENGLISH/TSONGA 77 5.3.1 The front matter section of the Dictionary of Basic English / Tsonga 77 5.3.1.1. The user guide 77 5.3.1.2 Abbreviations used in the dictionary 80 5.3.1.3 Texts that should have also been included in the Dictionary of Basic English/ Tsonga 81 5.3.2 The back matter section of the Dictionary of Basic English / Tsonga 82 5.4 Tsonga Terminology and Orthography No.3 82 5.4.1 The front matter section of the Tsonga Terminology and Tsonga Terminology and Orthography No.3 83 5.5 SOUTH AFRICAN MULTILINGUAL DICTIONARY 88 5.6 OTHER LEXICOGRAPHIC WORKS IN XITSONGA 90 5.6.1 Tihlungu ta Rixaka (TTR) 90 5.6.2 Outer texts in this dictionary 91 5.6.2.1 The front matter section of the TTR 91 5.6.2.2 Revised orthography and spelling rules for all official languages 98 5.6.2.3 Summary of section 4 99 5.6.2.4 Summary of section 7 106 5.6.2.5 Summary of the front matter section of the TTR 107 5.6.2.6 Lack of consistent guidance in the TTR on how to deal with variant spellings of a lemma 107 5.6.2.7 Lack of guidance in the TTR on how to deal with synonyms 108 5.6.2.8 Lack of guidance to the user in terms of headers 109 5.6.3 The back matter section of the TTR 110 5.7 LEXICOGRAPHIC ACTIVITIES OF THE XNLU 112 5.7.1 Dikixinari ya Xitsonga/English Dictionary 112 5.7.1.1 The frame structure of the Dikixinari ya Xitsonga/English Dictionary 112 5.7.1.1.1 The front matter section of the Dikixinari ya Xitsonga/English Dictionary 112 x Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za 5.7.2 Outer texts of Dikixinari ya Xitsonga/English Dictionary 120 5.7.2.1 Summary of the discussion on the use of superscript numbers and numbers 120 5.7.3 Texts that should have also been included in the Dikixinari ya Xitsonga/English Dictionary 135 5.7.3.1 How to deal with singular and plural form of nouns 135 5.7.3.2 Outer texts of Dikixinari ya Xitsonga/English Dictionary 136 5.7.4 English-Xitsonga Bilingual Dictionary 137 5.7.4.1 Front matter section of the English-Xitsonga Bilingual Dictionary 137 5.7.4.2 Back matter section of the English-Xitsonga Bilingual Dictionary 141 5.8 CONCLUSION 142 CHAPTER: VI 145 DEVELOPING A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR AN IMPROVED USE OF OUTER TEXTS IN XITSONGA DICTIONARIES 145 6.0 INTRODUCTION 145 6.1 PROPOSED OUTER TEXTS OF A MONOLINGUAL DICTIONARY OF XITSONGA 146 6.2 FRONT MATTER TEXTS 147 6.2.1.