A collective of academic lecturers, community stakeholders, and language experts launched the first-ever Trilingual Dictionary of the Kaaps language in Cape Town [1].
The project seeks to legitimize the Kaaps dialect to ensure that children from coloured communities are not penalized in educational settings. By providing a formal reference, the dictionary aims to shift how the language is perceived in schools and public institutions [2].
The effort to compile the dictionary took more than five years [3]. The project involved a wide range of contributors, including Professor Quinten Williams and Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie [1].
Professor Williams said Kaaps should be recognised as a legitimate language to ensure coloured children are not marked down but understood at school [2]. The dictionary serves as a tool for language equality, bridging the gap between home dialects and formal academic requirements.
Beyond the classroom, the collective intends for the dictionary to act as a catalyst for cultural production. A presenter from SABC News said the group hopes more literary works will appear in the dialect [1].
The dictionary was officially reported as launched on Aug. 30, 2021 [4]. It represents a shift toward recognizing the linguistic diversity of South Africa's Western Cape region — a move intended to preserve a dialect that has historically lacked formal recognition.
Lead compilers said the Trilingual Dictionary of Kaaps was a labour of love that took more than five years to compile [3]. The trilingual nature of the text allows for a broader reach and deeper academic integration.
“Kaaps should be recognised as a legitimate language to ensure coloured children are not marked down but understood at school.”
The formalization of Kaaps through a trilingual dictionary challenges the historical marginalization of the dialect in South Africa. By transitioning from a spoken vernacular to a documented language with a dictionary, the community gains a tool to advocate for systemic changes in the education system, potentially reducing the academic disadvantage faced by students who speak the dialect as their primary language.
