Author: Nomsa Skosana (SADiLaR isiNdebele Researcher)

//English summary below//

Amabizo-mvango, mhlobo wamabizo akheka ngeenkhekhe zekulumo ezimbili nanyana ezintathu ukuya phezulu (Isihlathululi-mezwi sesiNdebele, 2018:17). Ukwakheka kwamabizo-mvango eLimini lesiNdebele kungezinye zezinto ezenza iLimeli bona kube ngilelo elihlukileko hlangana namanye amaLimi wamaNguni. Ukwakheka kwamabizo-mvango esizokutjheja ngokweenkhekhe zekulumo ezilandelako;

• Ibizo + Isabizwana sokukhomba
• Undaweni + Isabizwana sokukhomba
• Isabizwana samambala + Isabizwana sokukhomba
• Ibizo + Isabizwana sobumnini
• Isabizwana sokukhomba + Isabizwana sobumnini

Amabizo-mvango akheka ngebizo nesabizwana sokukhomba;

• Amabizo-mvango akheka ngebizo nesabizwana sokukhomba alandela imithetho emithathu kizo zoke iingaba zamabizo ezinganamakghadlana. Imithetho yakhona nginasi elandelako;

              - Umthetho woku-1

Isivumelwana sesabizwana sokukhomba u-l kizo zoke iingaba zamabizo ezinganaye umakghadlana siyakhithika;

            Isibonelo (Isib.): Isigaba (Isig.) 2: laba= -aba

                                                                  Abasan(a) + (l)abo= abasanabo

              - Umthetho wesi-2

Woke amabizo agcina ngokamisa u-a, e namkha u-i akhithiza iinlungelelwezi lokha nakahlangana nesabizwana sokukhomba;

            Isib. Isig. 7: Isitj(a) + (l)esi= Isitjesi

              - Umthetho wesi-3

Woke amabizo agcina ngokamisa u-o no-u ayatjhuguluka abe ngusingakamisa u-w nakahlangana nesabizwana sokukhomba;

            Isib. Isig. 2 abantu + (l)aba= abantwaba

Amabizo-mvango akheka ngondaweni nesabizwana sokukhomba

• Isabizwana sokukhomba sithi nasihlangana nondaweni sikhithize isivumelwano saso u-l, undaweni naye akhithize ukamisa osilungelelo;

Isib. Ekhay(a) + (l)a= ekhaya

 Amabizo-mvango akheka ngesabizwana samambala nesokukhomba

• Isabizwana sokukhomba sikhithiza isivumelwano u-l lokha nasiza ngemva kwesabizwana samambala kuthi isabizwana samambala sona sikhithize ukamisa waso osilungelelo;

Isib. Isig. 2: Bon(a) + (l)abo= bonabo

Umthetho ongehla lo awusebenzi lokha isabizwana sokukhomba silandelwa ngesamambala;

            Isib. Isig. 2: Laba + bona= laba bona

Amabizo-mvango akheka ngebizo nesabizwana sobumnini

• Amabizo-mvango akheka ngebizo nesabizwana sobumnini avela kanengi eengabeni zamabizo ezinomakghadlana (isig. 1,3,4,6,9 nesi-1a)

               Isib. Isig. 1a: umm(a) + (w)akhe= ummakhe

• Kunemithetho emi-2 yokwakheka kwamabizo-mvango okukusebenzisa ibizo nesabizwana sobumnini;

                 - Umthetho woku- 1

Amabizo agcina ngabokamisa u-o no-u, atjhugulula ukamisa lo abe ngusingakamisa u-w lokha nakahlangana nesirhunyezo sobumnini;

            Isi. Isig. 1: ugogo + (w)ami= ugogwami

                           : umkhulu + (w)akho= umkhulwakho 

                 - Umthetho wesi- 2

                 YELELA! Usingakamisa u-w uyakhithika lokha nakahlangana nondebembili;

           Isib. Isig. 3: umlomo + (w)ami= umlomwami> usingakamisa u-w uyakhithika,

                                                          = umlomami

                  - Umthetho wesi- 3

Amabizo agcina ngeenlungelelo zabokamisa u-a, e no-i, zikhithiza abokamisaba;

Isib. Isig. 1: umfaz(i) + (w)ami=umfazami

Amabizo-mvango akheka ngesabizwana sokukhomba nesabizwana sobumnini

• Izabizwana ezimbilezi zakha amabizo-mvango ngokulandela imithetho esele iveziwe ngehla;

Isib. Isig. 2: bam(i) + (l)abo= bamabo

       Isig. 5: lakho + (l)eli= lakhweli

Ngile indlela amabizo-mvango akheka ngayo eLimini lesiNdebele ngokusebenzisa iinkhekhe zekulumo ezihlukileko (Skhosana, 2006).

ISILULULWAZI

Isihlathululi-mezwi siseNdebele. 2015. South Africa: RSA National Lexicography Units.

Skhosana, P.B. 2006. AFT:752 Capita Selecta IsiNdebele linguistics. University of Pretoria: Department of African Languages.

Topic: Compound nouns

IsiNdebele has a salient feature that distinguishes it from other Nguni languages, which is the strong tendency it has of compounding nouns that occur between words in the following word classes:

• nouns + demonstrative pronouns
• locative nouns + demonstrative pronouns
• absolute pronouns + demonstrative pronouns
• nouns+ possessive pronouns
• demonstrative pronouns + possessive pronouns

One of the most salient features of demonstratives in isiNdebele is the fact that they compound with the co-referent noun. This is a typical Ndebele feature which it shares with none of the other Nguni languages i.e. Zulu, Swati and Xhosa.

Example: abantwaba [abantu + (l)aba] bayathandana

              : “These people love each other”

Author: Deon du Plessis (SADiLaR English Researcher) 

“I believe that linguistic and cultural hybridity is our identity.”[1]

The concept of naturalisation is applied to people who immigrate and integrate into a new country to the extent that they are granted citizenship.[2] Nkonko Kamwangamalu uses this framework to describe how (South) African English has been naturalised, in a manner of speaking; it has come to “bear the burden of the speakers’ cultural experience” and acts as a “link language between speakers of various languages”.[3]

This quality of being a link language is expressed through English bonding together speakers who are ethnically or linguistically diverse[4] and may not have another medium of communication in common.

The depth of this relationship may be seen where:[5]

• indigenous words and symbolism are borrowed into English,
• local notions of kinship are expressed through English, where this would not previously have been possible, by creating new terms to express such notions,
• idioms and expressions get carried over into English,
• existing English words get special, new meanings, and
• specific, African turns of phrase are entrenched in the language.

English has been naturalised in South Africa within this framework. We need to think about not seeing it as a competitor to its new compatriots, and instead think how it can exist alongside those compatriots: the indigenous languages of our land.[6]

Note: This post summarises certain aspects of prof. Nkonko M. Kamwangamalu’s (2019) paper titled English as a naturalized African language, which was offered in honour of Braj Kachru in a special issue of the journal World Englishes.

[1] Kachru, Braj B. 1998. English as an Asian language. Links and Letters, 5: 105.

[2] Kamwangamalu, Nkonko M. 2019. English as a naturalized African language. World Englishes, 38: p. 116.

[3] Ibid.: p. 115; italicisation added.

[4] Ibid.: p. 117.

[5] Ibid.: p. 119-123

[6] Ibid.: p. 124