MANDELA, Nelson.

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A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles. First edition, signed limited issue, number 4 of 100 copies signed by Nelson Mandela, presented to supporters of the Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund, which he founded and headed. A vast project, the result of 25 years' study, the dictionary documents the growth of South African English since the founding of Cape Town in 1652. At the time of publication, English was the first language of one tenth of the population and a second language of half. The project was officially supported by Mandela's government, which, though upholding the 11 official languages of South Africa, was keen to see English displace Afrikaans as the lingua franca of everyday business.The dictionary reflects South African English's extensive borrowing from Afrikaans, the nine official Black African languages, and Indian and Malay influences. It highlights terminology unique to specific racial groups and includes offensive terminology, which is labelled as derogatory. Each word is followed by citations tracing its development over time.

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