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6/07/2010

Dictionary development in Badwe'e

The process of language development includes dictionary-making. We have not helped the Badwe'e people do their dictionary yet, so we are preparing one for them to add to and improve.
It is over 3000 words in length.
We are confident of the completeness of only one part of the dictionary, the adjectives. This is because the adjectives of Bantu languages are usually a "closed set". Otherwise stated, they are few in number. The other words used do qualify a noun are nouns.
The 12 adjectives in Badwe'e have the following meanings:
"light" and "dark"
"small" and "big"
"same" and "different"
"new" and "old-fashioned"
"cold" and "hot"
"genuine"
"complete"
I hope that the rest of the dictionary can become somewhat more complete now.

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