Downtown Africa
The first edition of the Diksioner Kreol Rodrige (DKR) was simultaneously launched, today, in Anse aux Anglais, Rodrigues, and at the University of Mauritius (UoM), Réduit, through a Zoom session organised by the UoM. The Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues, Mr Serge Clair, the Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and co-author of the DKR, Professor Arnaud Carpooran, as well as other personalities attended the launching ceremony.
In his address, the Chief Commissioner highlighted that, through this DKR, Rodrigues is now able to share specificities of is creole with other countries and open itself to the world. He also encouraged young Rodriguans to learn Kreol Rodrige at school, as they have been doing since January 2020, in a bid to preserve their culture and history.
For his part, Professor Carpooran recalled that a Memorandum of Agreement between the Arts and Culture Commission of Rodrigues and the UoM was signed in 2018 for the DKR project. The project, he indicated, which aimed at promoting the Creole language, is a symbol of respect for the specificity and authenticity of the island and continues the fight for ‘Rodriguanism’ within institutions.
He underscored that the objectives of the DKR project are to; give more visibility and tangibility to Rodriguan Creole; describe its vocabulary, grammar and popular expressions; provide a tangible form with regards its pronunciation, accents and specificities; enable Rodriguans to identify themselves through their language; showcase the intangible heritage of Rodriguan Creole; and provide teachers of Kreol Rodrige with a useful educational tool.
Mr Carpooran pointed out that the objectives have been successfully achieved and commended all stakeholders who have been working on this three-year project.
As at date, some Rs 2,5 million have been disbursed for the DKR project. The dictionary consists of around 1,479 pages and comprises some 17,000 words, more than 35,000 definitions and examples, as well as 1,000 illustrations. A first batch of 200 copies will soon be printed and distributed in schools and other institutions.
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