Using Yahoo`s group e-mailing technology, the "Werkgroep vir Afrikaanse IT-terme" (WAITT) has gathered 1 500 translated terms from discussions between its members since 1999. Today, the list serves as a text-only downloadable reference guide to IT professionals who work in Afrikaans, translate programs or write in the language.
Samuel Murray, charged with collating new terms and adding them to the list, has documented the history of the project on the WAITT Web site. "It has been going since September 1999, but before that, professors Johan Combrink and Niek du Plooy discussed possible standardisation of Afrikaans IT terms," he says.
"There are 60 members, with only 10 of them really active. The rest 'lurk` [receive new contributions and discussions via e-mail without contributing], which we understand, because to them, it is a way of keeping up with new terms."
Murray says the list is freely available to anyone wishing to access it or host it on another site, on condition that they link to the project`s YahooGroups Web site and inform Murray, to ensure they keep up to date with new additions.
Authoritative?
Murray, a translator, says there is occasionally intensive discussion on new words. "I normally give members a second opportunity to comment on new words before adding them to the list.
"It is difficult to say how authoritative people think it is. It isn`t nearly as normative as many dictionaries, so we don`t supply only one translation for any term. We decide which are feasible and include them all. But that doesn`t mean the translation process is not exacting, only that with some things, a variety of possibilities exist. Rather than choose one translation, we supply a few and wait to see which one people adopt over time."
Another member, professor Christo Viljoen, along with Du Plooy and Murray, is finalising the text for the "Kuberwoordeboek" (Cyber Dictionary), a successor to the "Tweetalige Rekenaarwoordeboek" by N Coetzee, NF du Plooy and AD de V Cluver (1985).
Viljoen, chairman of the SABC board until 10 years ago, says a good example of the difficulty to reach consensus with some translations is the word "chip". Northern Afrikaners prefer "[silikon]vlokkie", while southerners use "skyfie". "Ultimately, the three authors take responsibility for final decisions but modern, time-saving communications facilities, such as e-mail, facilitate quicker decision-making."
If, in Murray`s words, you like Afrikaans and computers, join by sending a mail to the list, without subject line or content. Several translators, academics and programmers are among WAITT`s members.