Oxford English-Setswana Dictionary a part of National Heritage

The Oxford English-Setswana, Setswana-English School Dictionary (OESSESD) has been hailed as an essential part of Botswana's national heritage by senior lecturer in English Linguistics and Lexicography at the University of Botswana's (UB) Department of English, Dr Thapelo Otlogetswe.

In an interview with Showbiz, Otlogetswe, its chief editor, said that the dictionary, which had been in the making for around three years, would be available in Botswana in two months' time.He said that the dictionary is in its final stages as they are cross-checking to ensure everything is in order before officially launching it.The dictionary is a step in the right direction, as there hasn't been many products developed that promote and preserve Setswana, Otlogetswe said.

He added that there has been only one dictionary published to date."To date we have had only one English-Setswana dictionary that was published in 1875 and written by Tom Brown under the London Missionary Society." He said that over the years the dictionary has been reprinted and edited.Otlogetswe added that Setswana is mostly used orally as compared to being written down and documented.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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