Otjiherero Dictionary Launched

Magreth Nunuhe

29 April 2011

Windhoek — A contemporary Otjiherero-English dictionary, which provides vital information about grammar usage, was launched this week at the Goethe Centre.

Nduvaa Nguaiko-Calhoun, a Namibian based in the United States, is the author of the new dictionary, which contains words used on a daily basis in both languages.

The dictionary is also a tool for tourists visiting Namibia, students interested in learning the language or any English speaker as important historical and cultural information of the Ovaherero are provided in the book.

Speaking at the book-signing, Nguaiko-Calhoun said although she was not a linguist nor does she hold a PhD that publishers were looking for in order to put out a dictionary, she was able to compile the dictionary with the help of friends and family.

“I strongly believe where there is a need and a necessity in society and a little push from your friends, family and colleagues, anything is possible,” she said to a small audience that mostly consisted of proponents of the Ovaherero culture and language such as, Dr Jekura Kavari, a lecturer in Otjiherero at the University of Namibia (UNAM), Jarimbovandu Kaputu, well-known Ovaherero cultural historian and veteran executive producer of the NBC’s Otjiherero service, Dr Hoze Riruako, Senior Lecturer of Politics and Administrative studies at UNAM and Gerson Kamatuka, the Deputy Mayor for the City of Windhoek.

Nguaiko-Calhoun was born in Omaruru and grew up in Ozongaka.

She started school at the age of eight. She left for the United States while in the ninth grade.

“I was shocked to learn that I was too old to go to school when I arrived in the US,” she said, adding that she had to struggle to get a High School Equivalent Diploma, because her English was not up to scratch as by then, the medium of instruction at Namibian schools was Afrikaans.

Despite her troubles with the English language and foreign culture, she graduated and was able to go to college.

She started off by writing down every word she heard in English.

“I continued to do this, writing down English words and trying to find a translation into Otjiherero.”

After finishing her Bachelors in Computer Science, she continued to store a list of words on a computer. Eventually, she compiled a manuscript with the help of some of her learned relatives and approached publishers in New York.

However, publishers declined to publish her work because she did not have a PhD neither was she professor. “But in 2004, I got an e-mail from a publisher in New York who was willing to publish the manuscript.”

She commended the likes of Kaputu, Theofellus Kamupingene, Kavari, Mooja Kazapua and many others for paving the way for her work.

“What she has done is very phenomenal, it must be applauded,” said Riruako.

“Most of us do want to write but are afraid to make mistakes. Nothing is perfect , please write,” Kavari said, adding that if there were mistakes in one edition, improvements and shortcomings could be corrected in the next edition.

“It’s a big thing for the community,” Kaputu said, adding that Nguaiko-Calhoun had made a contribution towards making Namibia, an informed society. He said Nguaiko-Calhoun had proved that one does not necessarily have to be educated first before writing a book. “Write and continue with your education.”

The dictionary that contains international phonetic alphabets for English and Otjiherero is a guide to Otjiherero pronunciations and carries 5825 entries in Otjiherero and 5992 in English.

The author would also do book-signing in Gaborone and Mahalapye, Botswana today and tomorrow.The dictionary is priced at N$150.

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