Unveiling Culture and History: UB Professors Launch Setswana Personal Names Dictionary

 

A significant contribution to linguistic research and cultural preservation has been made with the publication of "A Dictionary of Setswana Personal Names" by two University of Botswana (UB) academics, Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe and Dr. Goabilwe Ramaeba.

This new dictionary is a monumental achievement, containing over 8,500 Setswana names. To put this in perspective, this is a much larger collection than the approximately 6,000 names found in the Oxford Dictionary of First Names. The extensive collection was built from a database of over a million names and features a wide range of names, from the most common to the least common.

The dictionary is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the cultural nuances and significance of names. According to Professor Otlogetswe, the book is not just a list of names and meanings, but a tool that helps to explain the history and memories embedded in the names of the Batswana people. This sentiment was echoed by Professor Andy Chebanne, a retired linguistics professor at UB, who described the dictionary as "well-structured" and urged its use in community gatherings, or dikgotla, rather than just in libraries.

The publication is also a major milestone for Botswana and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Professor Shole Shole, a retired professor from UNISA and Northwest University, praised the dictionary as a critical and inspirational work that places Setswana names on the international stage. This achievement is a testament to the high-quality research being conducted at the University of Botswana, supported by the UB's Office of Research and Development (ORD), and aligns with the institution's strategic goal of becoming a research-intensive university.