HYDERABAD: Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University (PSTU) has decided to come out with a Telangana dictionary and encyclopedia to bring neglected Telangana language and culture back in popularity.
A Telangana dictionary is being prepared to provide complete information and meaning of various words used by the people of Telangana. On the other hand the Telangana encyclopedia is aimed at preparing a comprehensive source of knowledge about Telangana culture, history, lifestyle and other aspects.
Information about the new districts would also be included in this encyclopedia.
As more Telangana words were expected to gain popularity and prominence post the formation of Telangana, the need for a Telangana dictionary has been envisioned by Telugu University.
“Telangana language, literateurs, folk and written literature were neglected in the past. Language develops with the patronage of governments and usage of the people. In the new state, Telangana language is expected to grow and become popular. Therefore, a dictionary on Telangana language is needed not just to bring the ignored words and usages into popularity but also to pave the way for its growth in the future,” said Professor S V Satyanarayana, vice-chancellor of PSTU. While the news of Telangana dictionary might cheer linguists and literature lovers, Telangana encyclopedia is being seen as a great help to students and research scholars, as there are not many authentic books on Telangana culture and history.
University officials first want to prepare an action plan and initiate the work within a month. They have set a time-frame of three years to come up with first editions.
“Preparation of dictionary and encyclopedia is a continuous process. It is also a demanding job as we have to refer to many sources and take inputs from scholars. But we want to complete encyclopedia in the shortest time possible as government job aspirants need a source for reference,” said Prof Satyanarayana.
Telugu University officials are also taking steps to put pressure on the government to shift Telugu Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Telugu (CESCT) from Mysore to Hyderabad.
“As CESCT is based in Mysore, it is of no use to Telugu people or scholars. We are trying to shift it from Mysore to Hyderabad. Telugu University will soon conduct a meeting with officials from Department of Culture, official language commissions, Telugu Akademi and others to prepare a plan of action to bring CESCT to Hyderabad. Officials and scholars from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have already expressed interest to shift the centre to Hyderabad,” said Satyanarayana.
He said that CESCT has ample funds, which can be used for funding research projects in classical Telugu and promote language, and the shift would help the two states.