Global Journal of Human Social Science, G: Linguistics and Education, Volume 21 Issue 4

Loanword Nativisation in Tshiven ḓ a: A Descriptive Analysis Moffat Sebola α & Sekgaila Chokoe σ I. I ntroduction oanwords, whether standard or colloquial, and the varied linguistic alterations they undergo have been an area of interest for many phonologists and researchers (see Babel, 2016; Boersma and Hamann, 2009; Bueasa, 2015; Chang, 2008; Haspelmath, 2009; Iribemwangi, 2013; Kang, 2010; Madiba, 1994; Mamarara, 2010; Yip, 2006; Zivenge, 2009). It is for this reason that recent studies on loanwords have evolved from a minor curiosity to a phenomenon meriting serious and sustained study (Kenstowicz and Suchato, 2006). According to Zivenge (2009:10), “Nativization has become an important aspect in contemporary studies because language contact has been greatly facilitated by globalization”. In this nativisation process, loaned words are often altered linguistically to suit the characteristics of the receiving language (Hock, 1991). Needless to say, these alterations are also notably evinced in the Tshiven ḓ a language, particularly in the process that called ‘nativisation’ or ‘adaptation’ (Chimhundu, 2002). When adapting a loanword, Kenstowicz and Suchato (2006) aver, “the speaker tries to remain faithful to the source word while still making the loan conform to the native language (L1) segmental inventory, phonotactic constraints, and prosodic structures”. The aim of this article is to illustrate how the Tshiven ḓ a language demonstrates the flexibility and productivity of its phonetics, phonology, morphology and semantics in accommodating the words it borrows from various languages. It is further highlighted that Tshiven ḓ a accommodates loanwords whilst managing to preserve its identity by remodelling such words to conform to its linguistic patterns and structure. By loanword or lexical borrowing, it is meant the process by which a word is transferred from one language (the source language) into another (the recipient language), or simply an introduction of new words to a language, to express concepts (Haspelmath, 2009; Makoe, 2004; Poulos, 1985). Thus, in an effort to highlight how Tshiven ḓ a borrows words from various languages, i.e., Xitsonga, Northern Sotho, IsiZulu, isiXhosa, IsiNdebele, Chishona, English and Afrikaans (Maumela and Madiba, 1996) and successfully adapts them, this article also discusses at length how linguistic contacts affect(ed) Tshiven ḓ a. This is important, considering that, when “people with different languages and cultures are usually in regular contact with one another […], their languages and cultures also come into contact and inevitably influence each other” (Mamarara, 2010:1). Mamarara’s view is cherished by Chokoe (2000:96), who asserts that: When two cultures come into contact, there ought to be some form of acculturation, that is, the fusion of two or more cultures. During this process, one culture becomes dominant over the other, and thus the dominated culture acquires more from the dominant one. It is during this process that even language is transferred from the dominant culture to the dominated culture. Although various factors such as the need-filling motive, scientific and social advances, age of the loanword, speakers’ knowledge of the donor language and their attitude towards the donor language, and prestige, among others, are responsible for lexical borrowing (Haspelmath, 2009), in this article, however, considerable focus is solely on language contact as a propellant of lexical borrowing by Tshiven ḓ a. The article also shows that when words are being borrowed into the recipient language, in this case Tshiven ḓ a, such words are either getting adopted or adapted (Bueasa, 2015). By adoption, Bueasa means “the process of borrowing words from the source language, yet keeping the L Volume XXI Issue IV Version I 37 ( G ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - © 2021 Global Journals Year 2021 Author α : Department of Languages, School of Languages and Communication Studies, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa. e-mail: moffat.sebola@ul.ac.za Author σ : Department of Languages and Communication Studies, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa. e-mail: sekgaila.chokoe@ul.ac.za Abstract- This paper describes the process of loanword adaptation in Tshiven ḓ a. The description also foregrounds the facto rs that are often assum ed to play a role in the alterations that adopted and adapted words in Tshiven ḓ a undergo. Aided by the intuitive method, the study adopted the qualitative approach and descriptive design to analyse its data which was a predetermined set of loanwords gathered from previous loanword research. The analysis was also developed by means of a Canonical Approach where loanwords in Tshiven ḓ a were classified according to whether they conform to various canonical patterns, and if not, according to the direction and extent of their derivation from these patterns. Clements and Keyser’s (1983) CV-Phonology and Chomsky and Halle’s (1968) Generative Phonology Model also fortified the description of loanword adaptation in Tshiven ḓ a. Affixation and other morpho-phonological changes were found to be significant processes operating in loanword adaptation in Tshiven ḓ a, which starts out with phonetic adaptation and ends with semantic adaptation. The paper concludes by endorsing loanword adaptation as a significant phenomenon that combats language death.