Anton Prinsloo

Anton Prinsloo (1941–2016) was a linguist, radio announcer and playwright.

Biography

Born Antonie Frederik Prinsloo on 22 May, 1941, in Heilbron in the Orange Free State where he began his schooling, ultimately matriculating from the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria. He then studied part-time at the University of South Africa, completing a B.A.-degree, a B.A. Honnours-degree, an M.A. and a D.Litt. et Phil. in linguisitics.

Besides a number of temporary jobs shortly after leaving school, he eventually became the editor of the SA Water Bulletin (1974 tot 1984), senior co-editor of the Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT, 1984 en 1987) and from 1989 tot 1995 chief language advisor and chair of the Language Board for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

Hy was married to Fida and the couple had four children. Prinsloo passed away in Johannesburg on 23 Februarie 2016, after a long illness.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Besides his many publications on language, he also contributed a number of plays.

While completing his studies he at one time worked as an instructor and performer for a Pretoria based dance school and in the 1960s he was a member of RATO (the Roodepoort Amateur-toneelorganisasie), for which he no doubt performed but also wrote a number of plays with playwright and film director and producer Dirk de Villiers in the 1960s, including Sand, Broers and Die Web. (However, he does not seem to have been credited in the published texts of the plays.)