Dictionaries as instruments of exclusion and inclusion: some South African dictionaries as case in point

Abstract As utility tools dictionaries should convey data in an impartial way. Lexicographers should not impose either their subjective view or some prevailing ideologies on the users of the dictionary. This paper focuses on aspects of exclusion and othering in some South African dictionaries. Different types of exclusion in different types of dictionaries are shown but it is also shown how dictionaries contribute to processes of inclusion. The treatment of a single offensive racist word in different dictionaries is discussed and the lack of countering the insulting impact of the use of the word is criticized. A positive response to this problem by means of a policy for the treatment of sensitive words is also discussed.