The influence of English on the lexicon, morphology and phonology of the Silozi language spoken in the Zambezi Region

Abstract

The elderly expressed concern that the Silozi that the younger generation spoke was riddled with English vocabulary. The main aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate how English loanwords influenced the Silozi language spoken in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. The mixed methods research approach was adopted to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The study was carried out at 18 secondary schools, the University of Namibia (Katima Mulilo Campus) and the Zambezi Vocational Training Centre in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. The population of the study comprised senior secondary school and university students, vocational education trainees, senior secondary school teachers, and lecturers. Both the simple random and purposive sampling procedures were employed to determine participants to the study. Data was gathered through a questionnaire, focus groups, and interviews. The Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula was used to determine the sample size to fill the questionnaires. The captured and organised quantitative data was imported on SPSS for analysis. The data gathered via focus groups and interviews were categorically organised and uploaded on the Qualitative Content Analyser (QCA) software for analysis and tabulation. The study was modelled by two theories in language contact, namely Prince and Smolensky (2002), the optimality theory, particularly the Consonant/Vowel Theory, and Van Coetsem (1998), the general and unified theory of the transmission process. The results showed the different ways through which English words entered the Silozi lexicon. It was realised that the single lexical items, mostly nouns, that entered Silozi were subjected to morphological and phonological processes to ensure harmony with the structure and sound system of Silozi. The results showed that the process of incorporation through which English words assimilated into Silozi reflected the process of incorporation as advocated by the literature review and the two theories that framed this study. The results underscored that English influenced and enriched the vocabulary of the Silozi language spoken in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. The sociolinguistic factors of codeswitching and codemixing were frequently encountered in this endeavour. Therefore, a study on how they influence Silozi is hereby recommended.

Die bejaardes het kommer uitgespreek dat die Silozi taal wat die jonger geslag gepraat het, deurspek is met Engelse woordeskat. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was dus om te ondersoek hoe Engelse leenwoorde die Silozi-taal beïnvloed het wat in die Zambezi-streek van Namibië gepraat word. Die gemengde metode-navorsingsbenadering is gebruik om beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data in te samel. Die studie is by 18 sekondêre skole, die Universiteit van Namibië (Katima Mulilo-kampus) en die Zambezi Beroepsopleidingsentrum in die Zambezi-streek van Namibië uitgevoer. Die populasie van die studie het bestaan uit senior sekondêre skool- en universiteitstudente, beroepsonderwysleerlinge, senior sekondêre skoolonderwysers en dosente. Beide die eenvoudige ewekansige en doelgerigte steekproefprosedures is gebruik om deelnemers aan die studie te bepaal. Data is ingesamel deur middel van 'n vraelys, fokusgroepe en onderhoude. Die Krejcie en Morgan (1970) formule is gebruik om die steekproefgrootte te bepaal om die vraelyste in te vul. Die vasgelê en georganiseerde kwantitatiewe data is op SPSS ingevoer vir ontleding. Die data wat deur middel van fokusgroepe en onderhoude ingesamel is, is kategories georganiseer en op die Kwalitatiewe inhoudanaliseerder (QCA)-sagteware opgelaai vir analise en tabulering. Die studie is gemodelleer deur twee teorieë in taalkontak, naamlik Prince en Smolensky (2002), die optimaliteitsteorie, veral die Konsonant/Klinker Teorie, en Van Coetsem (1998), die algemene en verenigde teorie van die oordragproses. Die resultate het die verskillende maniere gewys waardeur Engelse woorde die Silozi-leksikon binnegekom het. Daar is besef dat die enkele leksikale items, meestal naamwoorde, wat Silozi binnegekom het, aan morfologiese en fonologiese prosesse onderwerp is om harmonie met die struktuur en klanksisteem van Silozi te verseker. Die resultate het getoon dat die proses van inlywing waardeur Engelse woorde in Silozi geassimileer is, die proses van inlywing weerspieël soos voorgestaan deur die literatuuroorsig en die twee teorieë wat hierdie studie geraam het. Die resultate het onderstreep dat Engels die woordeskat van die Silozi-taal wat in die Zambezi-streek van Namibië gepraat word, beïnvloed en verryk het. Die sosiolinguistiese faktore van kodewisseling en kodevermenging is gereeld in hierdie poging aangetref. Daarom word 'n studie oor hoe hulle Silozi beïnvloed hiermee aanbeveel.