Kulo nyaka ngenyanga kaTshazimpuzi, isichazimagama sesiAfrikansi esiquka konke ngokubanzi esiyimiqulu ngemiqulu nesigama lithi Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (i-WAT), sikhuphe umqulu waso weshumi elinesihlanu, nosisiqendu sesibini sonobumba ongu-S. Lo mqulu uqulethe amagama esiAfrikansi afana nathi “skool” ukuya kwelithi “Sri Lankaans”. Esi sichazimagama sikwanesihlomelo esiqulethe amagama amatsha asukela ku-A ukuya ku-S sesona songezelelo sasidingeka kakhulu ukususela mhla kwavela uMqulu woku-1 we-WAT (amagama asukela ku-A ukuya ku-C) ngo-1951. Mhlawumbi ngelo xesha amagama athi ‘amabokoboko’ (iqela lombhoxo kuzwelonke eMzantsi Afrika), ‘beurtkrag’ (ukucimacima kombane) kunye no-‘google’ ayengenakucingwa nokucingwa. I-WAT yaqala ukusetyenzwa ngokusemthethewni ngo-1926 kwaye ngo-1929 iYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch yaluthathela kuyo uxanduva lwesi sichazimagama.
Ukususela ngenyanga yoMqungu, iqela labahleli be-WAT belisoloko lisebenza ngomqulu wesithathu kunye nowokugqibela ngenjongo yokufezekisa umsebenzi ongonobumba u-S, msebenzi lowo omele ukuba mawugqitywe kule minyaka mibini izayo ukuba yonke into ihamba ngokwesicwangciso. Kuye kwatyunjwa amanye amalungu kunyaka odlulileyo ukwenzela ukuba i-WAT ifike ku-Z ngo-2029.
I-WAT, umzekelo, inamanye amagama amaninzi kunye neengcombolo ezininzi kune-HAT, (Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal,) – isichazimagama esingumqulu omnye). Enyanisweni, injongo yaso kukushicilela isigama sesiAfrikansi ngokubanzi kangangoko kunokwenzeka. Ngako oko i-WAT ingumsebenzi wokubhekisa ogunyazisiweyo owenzelwe nabani na ofuna ukuqiniseka ngokupheleleyo okanye abo baphanda ngamagama esiAfrikansi. Sikwafumaneka ngeintanethi – nakumaqonga weeselula. IZiko leeLwimi lingathanda ukuvuyisana ne-WAT ngokugqiba uMqulu we-XV (cacileyo phofu singabasebenzisi abathanda kakhulu ukusebenzisa i-WAT).
Asinguye wonke umntu owaziyo ukuba zeziphi izixhobo zolwimi ezikhoyo okanye zifumaneka phi. INkonzo yeeLwimi isungule ikhasi lezixhobo ukwenzela oosozilwimi balo. Eli khasi lifikeleleka kumntu wonke kwaye liqulathe amakhonkco eentlobontlobo ezininzi zezichazimagama zelektronika, izintlu zamagama kunye noluhlu lwesigama. Inguqulelo yamva nje yeNkonzo yeeLwimi, yoLuhlu lwamaGama Afanayo oGuqulolwimi phakathi kwesiNgesi nesiAfrikansi iza kufumaneka apha. INkonzo yeeLwimi ibonelela abaxhasi nokuba baphi na ehlabathini ngenkonzo yobuchule yokuhlela kunye neyoguqulolwimi. Imeyilela isicelo sakho kuMarguerite – sinokukunceda ngeelwimi ezili-15 ubuncinane!
