Mangalore, Jun 10: If everything goes as planned, the first Beary-Kannada-English dictionary will be in the hands of readers within two years.
With proper planning and training the dictionary could be completed within two years, said Prof. B.A. Vivek Rai, Kannada and Tulu scholar, at a consultation meet organized by Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy on Tuesday as a first formal steps towards compiling a Beary-Kannada-English dictionary.
Prof. Rai suggested that the Academy could hire a scholar, with four other arts graduates, to form the core of the committee to concentrate on compiling words for the language.
“The Academy should recognise resource persons in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Kodagu to start the collection of words. These can be retired teachers, homemakers or anyone well-versed with the language,” he said.
When the debate veered to choosing a script for the regional language, Prof Rai said, “There is no relation between a language and a script. Do not lay unnecessary emphasis on script.” Using his experience in the development of the Tulu software, he said softwares were possible because its script had been modified for both Kannada and English.
Reiterating this, U.P. Upadhyaya, a linguist who was instrumental in bringing out a Tulu dictionary, said the usage of both English and Kannada scripts for Tulu had ensured the language goes beyond the borders of the State.
“There are Beary speakers in Dubai, who may not know the Kannada script. But almost everyone knows the Roman (English) script. The dictionary will help and others who want to learn the language,” he said.
Narrating his experience, he told the Academy to identify dialects in various places and through this, the dictionary can be enriched.
Vasanta Kumar Perla, Kannada poet and radio personality, said there should be a concerted effort to update the dictionary even after its print.
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