International Dictionary Day is celebrated annually on the 16th of October. On this auspicious day, AfriForum pays tribute to all who have made contributions through the years to create a wide variety of dictionaries in Afrikaans and other indigenous South African languages.

“Thanks to their hard work, our languages ​​have developed and are still growing dynamically to ensure their future survival,” explains Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs.

International Dictionary Day is commemorated in honour of Noah Webster, who was born on 16 October 1758. He is considered to be the father of the American dictionary. Although his work specifically benefitted English, the day is now used to encourage speakers of all languages ​​to improve their skills as speakers by consulting dictionaries and developing a richer vocabulary.

Bailey mentions that Webster’s mother was apparently responsible for his love of language. However, once he started his formal schooling, the poor quality thereof disappointed him and he began concentrating on trying to improve the education of future generations – among other endeavours through his lexicographic pioneering work.

“Like Webster, we must do everything possible to ensure that generations after us will enjoy the best possible education, and that means ensuring access to mother-language education for as long as possible. Legislation such as the controversial Bela Act, which threatens the continued existence of mother-language education in our schools and may result in the dominance of one language only, namely English, must therefore be strongly opposed,” she says.

AfriForum is therefore calling on the public to participate in the march against the Bela Act which will take place on 5 November 2024 from the Voortrekker Monument to Freedom Park in Pretoria. Information and registration forms are available at www.belaprotes.co.za.