Zimbalwa izichazi-magama zesiXhosa ezikhoyo, esinye sazo esaziwayo yi-Oxford English-Xhosa Dictionary ka-Arnold Fischer esapapashwa ngonyaka ka-1985.
Zimbalwa izichazi-magama zesiXhosa ezikhoyo, esinye sazo esaziwayo yi-Oxford English-Xhosa Dictionary ka-Arnold Fischer esapapashwa ngonyaka ka-1985.
Esi sichazi-magama siluncedo kubaguquli-lwimi nakubafundi besiXhosa. Nangona esi sichazi-magama siluncedo, ikho imingeni enxulumene naso.
Unobangela wokuba namhla sibe nesi sichazi-magama kungokuba njengoko uFischer etshilo.
“The idea for this English-Xhosa Dictionary was conceived during many years of studying and teaching Xhosa and being confronted with the lack of an appropriate English-Xhosa Dictionary”.
Ngamany’amazwi, esi isichazi-magama sahlelwa ngenxa yokunqongophala kwezichazi-magama ezithi ziphuhlise ezi lwimi zimbini-isiNgesi nesiXhosa nangeenjongo zokufezekisa iimfuno zabantetho isisiXhosa abafunda isiNgesi nabantetho isisiNgesi abafunda isiXhosa.
Nangona uFischer equlunqe isichazi-magama esiluncedo kubafundi nabaguquli-lwimi, esi sichazi-magama siya kwicala elinye.
Loo nto ichaza ukuba zonke iinkcukacha ezinikiweyo kwesi sichazi-magama zimalunga namagama esiNgesi.
Abafundi besiNgesi abathetha isiXhosa abafumani ncedo lulinganayo nabo besiXhosa abangamaNgesi ngokuba kaloku isigama sesesiNgesi hayi isiXhosa, ukutsho oko kuba nzima kumguquli-lwimi oguqulela isiXhosa esiNgesini.
Nangona kunjalo, umsebenzisi uyakwazi ukufumana ulingano kuguqulo lwamagama esiNgesi, imizekelo yokuba amagama asetyenziswa njani kwizivakalisi zazo zombini iilwimi.
Izichazi-magama azisetyenziswa ukuchaza iintsingiselo zamagama kuphela, zikwaluncedo kubasebenzisi bazo ukukwazi ukuphepha iimpazamo zegrama.
Oku kuyaqondakala xa usebenzisa isichazi-magama sikaFischer apho ufumana izigaba zentetho zamagama, amahlelo ezibizo, amaxesha ezenzi nolunye ulwazi malunga nokusetyenziswa kolwimi. Kuyahlungisa kumsebenzisi wesi sichazi-magama ukufumanisa ukuba isigama esichazwayo sinqongophele.
Kukho amagama angafumanekiyo, ingakumbi awabakho emva kokupapashwa kwesi sichazi-magama ngonyaka wama-1985.
Esi sichazi-magama sesipapashwe iminyaka ngeminyaka kodwa singahlaziywa.
Kukho intetho yamaNgesi ethi “Dictionaries are just like telephone books, already out of date the moment they are printed”.
Into yokuba izichazi-magama azilulo uncedo nokuba ayinguye wonke umntu ozisebenzisayo lulwim’etywaleni!
Nangona izichazi-magama sele zikho ezikhompyutheni nasezifowunini zethu, le nto ayithethi ukuba ezo zisezincwadini masingazixabisi.
Singacebisa ukuba xa siphinda sipapashwa isichazi-magama sikaFischer senziwe sibheke macala omabini apho abafundi besiXhosa nesiNgesi baya kufumana uncedo olulinganayo njenge-Oxford IsiXhosa-English/English-IsiXhosa Dictionary sabantwana besikolo esisandula ukupapashwa.
Sicebisa kananjalo ukuba xa sipapashwa kwakhona sihlaziywe kufakwe namagama asetyenziswa kwezemfundo nakweminye imimandla.
Isichazi-magama sikaFischer njengazo zonke ezinye izichazi-magama senza umsebenzi oncomekayo nangona kukho imingeni ethile enxulumene naso ngoko ke akukho mfuneko yokuba singasetyenziswa.
Sikhuthaza wonke umntu oya kukwazi ukuthi asithenge esi sichazi-magama enze njalo.
USibongile Matebese, uKhayakazi Maphetshana noLikhona Ntlantsana ngabafundi besiXhosa kwiSebe Leelwimi zesiNtu eRhodes University.
