ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to reflect on the current state of the art in online African language dictionaries. The Internet was expected to revolutionise dictionary compilation in the electronic age. When conducting a survey of online dictionaries for African languages, certain observations are prominent. The major shortcomings in online dictionaries for African languages manifest in terms of dictionary content, dictionary design, or both. Consider the Bilingo Multilingual South African Dictionary as an example where the dictionary's design and screen layout is quite appealing but the dictionary itself is poor in content. In terms of lexicographic quality, online African language dictionaries reflect the full spectrum ranging from mere translated words lists that can hardly be called dictionaries, via haphazard lemma selections with impoverished dictionary articles marred by many mistakes and shortcomings, to dictionaries of high lexicographic standard.
