Linguistic variation in urban vernaculars and rural and urban youth language in South Africa
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Abstract
This article describes and attempts to differentiate varieties of spoken isiXhosa in South Africa – including variations of the isiXhosa-based stylect commonly referred to as Tsotsitaal (plural tsotsitaals), and the urban vernacular form of isiXhosa. The article introduces some new Tsotsitaal data from a rural context and unpacks whether a comparison with both standard and urban forms of isiXhosa is a useful analysis, and whether we can look at these different practices as varieties, or alternatively as a continuum of isiXhosa. The comparison highlights what may be features of the lexicon and morphosyntax of isiXhosa-based tsotsitaals compared to urban and standard isiXhosa, and points to possible differences between rural and urban tsotsitaals. Ultimately, the article concludes that the inherent variability in stylistic practice within youth and urban varieties demands larger datasets if we are to argue that different varieties are at play, rather than simply stylistic variation in interactional contexts.
Abstract (isiXhosa)
Eli nqaku lichaza kwaye lizama ukwahlula iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zesiXhosa esithethwa eMzantsi Afrika- kuqukwa nokwahluka kolwimi oluthile olusekelwe kwisiXhosa olubizwa ngokuba yiTsotsitaal (isininzi tsotsitaals), nolwimi oluthethwa ezidolophini lwesiXhosa. Eli nqaku lazisa ngolwazi olutsha lweTsotsitaal olucatshulwe kwiinkcukacha zophando lwasemaphandleni kwaye licacisa ukuba ingaba uthelekiso lwazo zombini ezi ntlobo (olusemgangathweni nolwasezidolophini) zesiXhosa luhlalutyo oluluncedo kusini na, nokuba singajonga ezi zenzo zahlukeneyo njengeentlobo ngeentlobo, okanye ngenye indlela njengokuqhubekeka kwesiXhosa. Uthelekiso luqaqambisa oko kusenokuba ziimpawu zesichazi-magama nokubunjwa kwamagama eetsotsitaal asekelwe esiXhoseni xa kuthelekiswa nesiXhosa sasezidolophini nesisemgangathweni, kwaye kwalatha iyantlukwano enokuthi ibekho phakathi kweeTsotsitaal zasemaphandleni nezasezidolophini. Ekugqibeleni, inqaku liphetha ngokuthi umahluko okhoyo kwindlela ethile yokuthetha kulutsha neentlobo zasedolophini zifuna umthamo obanzi weenkcukacha ukuba sinokuxoxa ngokuthi iindidi ezahlukeneyo ziyasebenza, kunokuba kukwahluka nje kwendlela ethile yokuthetha/yokwenza kwiimeko zokusebenzisana.
Funding source: South African National Research Foundation
Award Identifier / Grant number: 64805
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Rajend Mesthrie and the National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Grant no. 64805 for research funding and support. Grateful thanks go to two anonymous reviewers who helped immensely with the glosses and conceptualization, and to the editors of the special issue for their assistance and patience.
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© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- New perspectives on morphosyntactic variation in African youth language practices
- Theoretical considerations on linguistic innovation through new combinations in African youth language practices, exemplified in Yanké and Langila (DR Congo)
- The use of the narrative final vowel -á by the Lingala-speaking youth of Kinshasa: from anterior to near/recent past
- On the development of tense-aspect markers in Lingala youth language: a microvariationist look at language change in the verb phrase
- Innovative use of Shona ideophones within an adolescent community of practice
- Encoding politeness in African urban youth languages: evidence from Southern Africa
- Noun classes, variation, and creativity in youth language practices in Zimbabwe and Tanzania
- Linguistic variation in urban vernaculars and rural and urban youth language in South Africa
- Verbal extensions in Sheng: an examination of variation in form and function
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- New perspectives on morphosyntactic variation in African youth language practices
- Theoretical considerations on linguistic innovation through new combinations in African youth language practices, exemplified in Yanké and Langila (DR Congo)
- The use of the narrative final vowel -á by the Lingala-speaking youth of Kinshasa: from anterior to near/recent past
- On the development of tense-aspect markers in Lingala youth language: a microvariationist look at language change in the verb phrase
- Innovative use of Shona ideophones within an adolescent community of practice
- Encoding politeness in African urban youth languages: evidence from Southern Africa
- Noun classes, variation, and creativity in youth language practices in Zimbabwe and Tanzania
- Linguistic variation in urban vernaculars and rural and urban youth language in South Africa
- Verbal extensions in Sheng: an examination of variation in form and function
