On Monday, 23 November 2015, the isiXhosa portfolio of the Stellenbosch University Language Centre launched its terminology website, with the terms presented in Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa. This site is not only accessible to persons directly connected to Stellenbosch University, but to anyone with access to the internet.
The site is thematically sorted into separate trilingual terminology lists and has an easy-to-use search function. All the lists have been compiled by Pumlani Sibula, who heads up the isiXhosa portfolio at the Language Centre. These lists were created using inputs from many different sources, including staff members of academic faculties at Stellenbosch University.
The development of the site attests to Stellenbosch University’s commitment to contribute to and promote isiXhosa, which is one of the official indigenous languages in the Western Cape, as an academic language. Doing this also creates opportunities to further isiXhosa’s use in general.
This terminology resource assists students, in particular isiXhosa students of Stellenbosch University, in gaining a much better understanding of subject terms in their areas of study. The Language Centre hopes that this will also afford students the opportunity to learn more about these terms – all through their mother tongue.
“The use of isiXhosa will help to build the confidence in the language speakers. It helps to change their attitude towards their language, creates self-awareness, and promotes unity and inclusivity”, notes Pumlani.
The site was developed and designed in collaboration with David Joffe and his team of TshwaneDJe, from which the terminology database tlTerm, used for creating the terminology site, was purchased.
Before the launch of the website, the terminology lists now available on the site were also made available to faculties in printed publications.
Terminology lists available on the website
Currently there is approximately 6 000 terms available on the site. These terms are sorted into terminology lists covering a number of areas of study, as well as sport:
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
- Sociology
- Social Work
- Psychology
Faculty of Law
- Family Law
- Criminal Law
- Customary Law
- Introduction to Law
Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
- Accounting
- Business Management
- Economics
- Industrial Psychology
- Information Systems
- People Management
- Public Development Management
- Statistical Method
Sports
- Soccer
- Rugby
- Cricket
Terminology lists to be launched in January 2016
In January 2016 the following terminology lists, for the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Engineering, will be made available on the site:
Faculty of Theology
- Missiology
- Practical Theology
- Systematic Theology
- Ecclesiology
Faculty of Engineering
- Applied Mathematics
- Computer Programming
- Engineering Chemistry
- Engineering Physics
Terminology lists being developed in 2016
The development of terminology lists for the following faculties is planned for 2016:
- Faculty of AgriSciences,
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Science
For more information please call us on 021 808 2167.
