The nexus between language policy and lexicography in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article examines the nexus between language policy and lexicography in Zimbabwe. It makes clear the impact of past and present language policy developments on the growth and development of lexicography in Zimbabwe. It addresses the following key question: To what extent can past and present language policies account for the state of Zimbabwean lexicography? A critical discourse analysis of both past and present language policy documents reveals that there is a lack of an enabling language policy environment in Zimbabwe to stimulate and sustain the growth and development of lexicography. The trilingual language policy of Zimbabwe accounts for the biases towards English, Shona and isiNdebele in dictionary making. Findings of the study also show that the 2013 language policy developments are more likely to stimulate the growth and development of lexicography in Zimbabwe if the implementation measures and requisite resources are put in place. The results of the study also confirm that lexicography, language policy, translation, interpreting and editing have an intricate and symbiotic relationship. It emerged that a language policy which upholds multilingualism promotes the provision of translation, interpreting and editing, which in turn and inevitably stimulates the growth and development of lexicography. It was also observed that translation, interpreting, editing and lexicography are key mechanisms for implementing a language policy.