News

Two University of Botswana (UB) academics, Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe and Dr Goabilwe  Ramaeba, have published “A Dictionary of Setswana Personal Names”.

According to Professor Otlogetswe, the publication has captured over 8500 Setswana names, which compares favourably with the Oxford Dictionary of First Names that contains approximately 6000 names.

He observed that in hindsight, individuals may discover that their names were not included in the dictionary. However, he indicated that the criteria used for selection were extensive, drawing from a Setswana names database of over a million names.

In addition, he explained that the selected names were based on frequency, ranging from the most common to the least common names. As a result, the dictionary includes the top 100 common names. Professor Otlogetswe said the dictionary was a valuable resource for anyone fascinated by the cultural nuances and significance embedded within names. This was demonstrated by various speakers' humorous interpretations of different names and their meanings across the diverse cultural spectrum and regions in the country.

Meanwhile when giving words of support and encouragement, Professor Shole Shole, a retired professor from University of South Africa (UNISA) and Northwest University, said the dictionary was a very critical and inspirational contribution to linguistic research. Professor Shole added that the achievement was not only significant for Botswana but also for SADC countries. He explained that through the dictionary, the authors had introduced Setswana names to the international stage hence paving the way for Setswana names to be used in foreign countries in the near future.

Professor Andy Chebanne, retired Professor of linguistics at UB, described the dictionary as well-structured while noting its ability to evoke memories and history for Batswana. He emphasised that the dictionary should be utilised in dikgotla instead of keeping it hidden away in libraries.

The publication is the culmination of years of research on Setswana personal names at UB and was partly funded by UB’s Office of Research and Development (ORD). This underscores the ability of UB lecturers to produce high-quality research works which aligns with the University’s strategic goal of becoming a research-intensive institution.