Header
The website header, made up of the DSAE logo, search bar and navigation menu, is located at the top of all pages and provides easy access to primary navigation functions. From the header you can, for example, search for dictionary entries, consult the Help pages or read more about South African English and the history of the project.
In desktop view, the header contracts on scrolling and remains fixed at the top of your browser window, providing persistent access to the search bar and navigation menu.
Search bar
To open the search bar on mobile devices, tap the search icon on the right side of the site header.
To find a word in the dictionary, type your search query into the search bar. A list of suggested target forms will automatically be listed below. Suggested forms include not only headword matches but also variant spelling forms and nested compounds. Click or tap to select the target word.
If there are no matching search results, a full-text search is automatically generated as well as alternative “Did you mean?” suggestions. This means that you don't need to use the exact word to find the result you are looking for!
Navigation menu
The website offers links to information and resources via a horizontal navigation menu. Primary navigation links – Home, Dictionary, More, Help, Project, Contact – function as headers to a hierarchy of sub-menus that drop down automatically on mouse over. Where applicable, further sub-menus within a specific navigation hierarchy are presented as a list of links on the relevant page.
To open and close the navigation menu in the collapsed header in desktop view, click the yellow
Menu tab on the top left of your screen.
The website offers links to information and resources via a vertical navigation menu, opened by tapping the menu icon in the top left corner of the header. Primary navigation links – Home, Dictionary, More, Help, Project, Contact – function as headers to a hierarchy of sub-menus that open vertically on tap. Where applicable, further sub-menus within a specific navigation hierarchy are presented as a list of links on the relevant page.
Home
The Home page is designed to be an engaging entry point to the dictionary. Look there for featured content, for example on the origins of South African English or interesting comparisons between familiar South African words and their World English counterparts.
Dictionary
Click or tap on All Entries in the navigation menu to display the full list of headwords contained in the dictionary. Alternatively, select a letter of your choice and the corresponding subset of dictionary entries will be displayed.
Results can be filtered and sorted according to various criteria. For help on filtering and sorting results, see Advanced Functions.
More
This menu item offers introductory information about South African English, a select bibliography of those sources most commonly cited in the dictionary, and information pertaining to copyright etc.
Help
The Help menu explains both the functions and contents of the dictionary, in brief or in detail. For the basics of page layout and navigation, see Getting Started. For detailed information on the components that make up each dictionary entry, go to Entry Structure. Advanced features such as results filtering and sorting are explained at Advanced Functions. A comprehensive list of Symbols and Abbreviations can also be found under this menu.
Project
Read about the online dictionary and its team of staff and collaborators, or find out more about the earlier print edition, A Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles, a 25-year project.
Contact
Use the email feedback form to send us your comments.