trilingual agricultural dictionary - Department of Agriculture: Western ...

There are many ways to overcome the challenge of communication in the agricultural sector, and some of these
the Department of Agriculture has and will continue to follow. One example is to appoint staff who are able
to speak all three official languages (English, Afrikaans and Xhosa) in the province and are qualified in the
different agricultural specialised fields. Another is to translate all documents into all three official languages and
ensure copies are disseminated to all clients.
As part of our continuous exploration and drive towards innovation and to reflect our understanding of our
clients, a group of dedicated officials (with knowledge of all three languages) came together to design and
update a technical agricultural dictionary for use by all in the agricultural sector.
This dictionary reflects the dedication of staff at the Department of Agriculture: Western Cape, their
understanding of the role of language in communication, their understanding of agriculture as a science, and
demands and requirements of our clients. It was a good idea four years ago, and remains a good idea for the
future.
Language should be nurtured, shared and used in communication in the agricultural sector, so that all can
benefit from opportunities and information available today and tomorrow.
Note on Xhosa month names
The Xhosa months of the year are poetically named after the seasonal plants and flowers of the Eastern Cape.
Not surprising, considering the traditional lifestyle of the early Xhosa in the beautiful, rolling hills of Pondoland
and the valley thickets of the Great Fish River region. The Xhosa year traditionally began in June and ended in
May, when Canopus, the brightest star visible in the Southern Hemisphere, signalled the time for harvesting. In
urban areas today, anglicised versions of the months are used, especially by the younger generation. But in the
rural areas of the Eastern Cape the old names still stand.
In this dictionary, both the anglicised and traditional versions are given.
in January - ngeyommQungu (month of the Tambuki grass)
in February - ngeyomDumba (month of the swelling rain)
in March - ngeyoKwindla (month of the first fruits)
in April - ngekaTshaz’iimpuzi (month of the withering pumpkins)
in May - ngekaCanzibe (month of Canopus - 2nd brightest star)
in June - ngeyeSilimela (month of the Pleiades - an open star cluster in the constellation
Taurus)
in July - ngeyeKhala (month of the aloes)
in August - ngeyeThupha (month of the buds)
in September - ngeyomSintsi (month of the coast coral tree)
in October - ngeyeDwarha (month of the tall yellow daisies)
in November - ngeyeNkanga (month of the small yellow daisies)
in December - ngeyomNga (month of the mimosa thorn tree)
Taken from Clicking with Xhosa by Berverley Kirsch, Silvia Skorge and Sindiwe Magona