The Koodoo on our Kar(r)oo: Reclaiming and Editing our Literary Heritage

Abstract

With the celebration in 2008 of the 125th anniversary of the first publication of Olive Schreiner's novel, The Story of an African Farm, in 1873, the question of reliability of the text came up once again for review. This article accounts for the circumstances of the first printing in London with an inexperienced author as proofreader, without any existing standardisation or other lexical references to non-British usages particularly proto-Afrikaans, to consult, and the prevailing London publishing norms in control. Subsequent editions with numerous corrections by her hand, as well as by later editors, are mentioned, while the quest to establish a definitive edition is outlined, now that English South African usages incorporate many fringe language examples which have since become nativised into common usage. The article suggests that lax proofreading, on the one hand, together with scantily informed metropolitan standards of language outreach, on the other, have led to unfortunate errors being perpetuated, even in numerous scholarly spin-offs, despite the attempts of previous scholars to standardise the text to conform to present-day professional norms and conventions.

Opsomming
Olive Schreiner se roman, The Story of an African Farm, is die eerste keer in 1873 gepubliseer. Die 125ste herdenking van die publikasiedatum is in 2008 gevier, en terselfdertyd is die vraag oor die betroubaarheid van die teks weer geopper. Hierdie artikel doen verslag oor die omstandighede en gebruike wat ten tyde van die roman se publikasie in die Londense uitgewersbedryf geheers het. Die proefleser was 'n onervare skrywer en daar was geen standaardisering of ander leksikale bronne van nie-Britse gebruiksvorme, veral proto-Afrikaans, wat geraadpleeg kon word nie. Daaropvolgende uitgawes met 'n menigte korreksies deur Schreiner en latere redi­geerders word genoem. Die pogings om vas te stel hoe 'n definitiewe uitgawe daar sou uitsien, word bespreek in die lig daarvan dat die vreemde gebruiksvorme van Suid-Afrikaanse Engels nou ingeburger is en algemeen gebruik word. Die artikel voer aan dat toegeeflike proefleeswerk en 'n gebrekkige kennis van die reikwydte van taal betreurenswaardige foute perpetueer, selfs in die magdom vakkundige neweprodukte van die roman en ten spyte van vakkundiges se pogings om die teks te standaardiseer sodat dit aan hedendaagse professionele norme en konvensies kan voldoen.