HSDU official Dr. Narine Singh, Administrative Manager of Walter Roth Museum Ms. Jennifer Wishart and Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony display a copy of “A Short Grammar and Dictionary of the Akawaio and Arekuna Languages of Guyana” at yesterday’s handing-over ceremony. (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

The project was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) which made a grant of US$600.

The books are not for sale and some will be donated to Amerindian communities to encourage the use of their languages.

Minister Anthony said the donation would not only benefit Amerindians but people in coastal communities as well.

He noted that teaching of the languages in schools would also help to keep them alive.

The gifted volumes include ‘Twenty-Eight Lessons in Loko (Arawak): A Teaching Guide’ written by John Peter Bennett; ‘A Short Dictionary of the Warau Language of Guyana’ researched by graduate researcher Elizabeth Charette and edited by W.F. Edwards and ‘Scholars Dictionary and Grammar of the Wapishiana Language’.

Administrative Manager of the Museum, Ms. Jennifer Wishart explained that many words from Amerindian languages are already in the national vocabulary but are thought to be Creole or corruptions of English.

‘Sen-Seh’ fowl is one colourful example which she said of a word used by Arawaks to describe a curly feathered bird.

As a contribution towards keeping this language alive, the Guyana Chronicle will, from Monday, be introducing an Amerindian ‘word of the day’ feature to bring Amerindian words to the attention of the public.