'n Kritiese beskouing van HAT³

Abstract

English Title: A Critical Review of HAT³

English Abstract

HAT can be viewed as one of the most widely used and most authoritative desk dictionaries of Afrikaans. On the basis of this status and authority it can duly be expected that the most significant changes which have occurred in the Afrikaans-speaking community during the past decade are reflected in the third revised and updated edition, published in 1994. Among these are socio-political changes, rapprochement between Standard Afrikaans and the vernacular, and a departure from elitism in favour of populism. Firstly, the front matter is reviewed with regard to the extent in which these tendencies are reflected. Secondly, aspects of the micro- and macrostructure are discussed in view of the extent to which they echo the Voorwoord (user's guide). Aspects looked into are descriptiveness and prescriptiveness, user-orientation, ideology, headword selection, as well as the systematic and motivated implementation of lexicographic and typographical conventions. It is concluded that the third edition of HAT is a great improvement on the second, especially with regard to ideological sensitivity, user-friendliness and a calculated break with the Afrikaans lexicographic tradition of linguistic purism.

Keywords: affix, citation, combining form, cross reference, definition, descriptiveness, desk dictionary, elitism, example, foreword, front matter, hat, ideology, label, prescriptiveness, populism, semantic change, user's guide, user-friendliness, user-orientation, verklarende handwoordeboek van die afrikaanse taal