One of Fiji’s most respected linguists helped spearhead a landmark achievement in the preservation of indigenous language and culture nearly three decades ago.
On April 9, 1997, The Fiji Times reported that the Institute of Fijian Language and Culture had completed compilation of the world’s first monolingual Fijian dictionary — a major milestone in documenting and preserving the iTaukei language.
The dictionary, which contained approximately 25,000 entries, was compiled entirely in Fijian, with both the words and their meanings written in the vernacular.
The accomplishment was confirmed at the time by the institute’s acting director, linguist and researcher Paul Geraghty, who is widely recognised for his extensive work on Fijian language history and dialects.
“The actual compilation of the dictionary was completed last year,” Mr Geraghty said.
However, despite the project’s completion, the dictionary was not immediately published in book form because the institute had been unable to secure a suitable publications officer.
At the time, the dictionary was only available on computer diskettes.
“It would certainly make quite a large book, but unless we have a publication officer, we are unable to estimate the number of pages involved.”
The dictionary project had initially been expected to conclude the year before, but delays in staffing affected publication plans.
The initiative was sponsored by the then Fijian Affairs Board and also received support from overseas partners, including Australia and Japan.
Mr Geraghty explained that the dictionary project eventually led to the formation of the Institute of Fijian Language and Culture itself, expanding the organisation’s role beyond language documentation into broader cultural preservation efforts.
“At first, the Fijian Dictionary project was the only project, but then the institute was formed, and with it, the initiation of other projects.”
Among those projects was a weekly half-hour radio program on Radio Fiji One focusing on Fijian language and culture, which aired every Tuesday night, as well as a weekly youth-focused column published in Nai Lalakai.
The institute also served as a major cultural resource centre for Fiji and the wider Pacific region.
“We are a resource centre, providing information on the language and culture of Fiji and the other South Pacific islands.”
At the time, the institute’s library housed about 2000 books and papers, alongside around 2000 audio cassette recordings documenting language and cultural traditions.
The institute also maintained a photographic archive containing extensive visual records, including images of fish species found in Fiji’s waters.
