Thesis Zivenge W.Pdf

PHONOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL NATIVISATION OF ENGLISH LOANS IN TONGA BY WILLIAM ZIVENGE Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY in the subject of AFRICAN LANGUAGES at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROFESSOR D.E. MUTASA CO-PROMOTER: PROFESSOR C. HARFORD JANUARY 2009 i DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my late father, Mr. M. Zivenge, who taught me that the most valuable knowledge is that which stimulates change in behavior. It is also dedicated to my uncle, Mr. R. Mawadze, who taught me that even the most challenging task can be accomplished if it is done one step at a time. It is also dedicated to my mother, Mrs. E. Zivenge who has been a great source of motivation and inspiration. Last but not least, the thesis is dedicated to my wife, Petty Zivenge, for being faithfully by my side, enduring all the twists and turns in the field, during data collection and verification. ii DECLARATION Student Number: 4153-985-0 I, William Zivenge, declare that Phonological and Morphological Nativisation of English Loans in Tonga is my work and that the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. --------------------------- Signature Date: 10 February 2009 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS After all those years, I have quite a long list of people who contributed in some way to this thesis, for which I would like to express thanks. First and foremost, I would want to acknowledge my two supervisors, namely, Professor C. Harford and Professor D.E. Mutasa. Their sage advices, insightful criticisms, patience and encouragement aided the writing of this thesis in innumerable ways. Their academic and professional support was more than just steadfast. Their thoughtful advice often served to give me a sense of direction during data gathering and analysis. Secondly, It is very difficulty to overstate my appreciation to Professor H. Chimhundu, Dr. E. Mberi, Dr. S. Hadebe, Mr. K. G. Mkanganwi, Dr. L. Khumalo and Dr. E. Chabata who brought me into the world of research and with whom I began to learn about linguistics and theoretical interpretation of linguistics data. I am also indebted to Dr. M. Kadenge, Dr. T. Mudokwenyu, Mr. G. Mheta, Mr. M. Maphosa and Dr. M. Sithole, not only as inspirational peers but they have also been cornerstones in my professional development. I would also want to thank Professor W. Magwa, Dr. F. Ndlovu, Mr. A. Viriri, Ms J. Masuku, Mrs C Chirimuuta and Mr. W. Chigidi who are my great mentors. These have brought me from the world of ignorance to the world of knowledge. They were the first to persuade me so as to be interested into the study of languages. They played a significant role in my life. Their academic company made my days worth living. I also thank Mr. V. Viriri, Mr. T. Charamba, Mr. D. Gondo, Mr. E. Mangoya, Dr. N. Mpofu, Mr. P. Mpofu, Miss S. Dube, Mr. T. Dube and the rest of lecturers at Midlands State University, Great Zimbabwe University, International University of Africa, University of South Africa, University of Botswana and iv University of Zimbabwe for supporting me in a number of different ways. I am deeply grateful to the Unisa Financial Aid Bureau, for the financial support which they gave me in order to study in South Africa, in particular registering with Unisa. I would also want to thank relatives and friends for loaning me money, in hard times like these, for travel to the field for research (data collection), thus support and assistance on all research trips. I also thank my valuable Research Assistants, Mr. F. Jakaza, Mr. T. Sabao, Mr. T. Madziyauswa, Miss H. Ketiwe, Miss M. Dzomanni, Ms B. Letse, Mr. C. Tshole, Ms S. Moafo, Ms W. Katso, Mr. L. Gaolatlhe and Ms P. Share for being invaluable on the practical side of the research, especially data collection and processing as well as setting up of focus and reference groups, conducting interviews, distributing and collecting questionnaires. I cannot end without thanking my brothers and sisters, namely, Mr. N. Zivenge, Mr. E. Zivenge, Miss R. Zivenge and Miss S. Zivenge for their encouragement and love, I have relied on, through out the study. I am also grateful and indebted to all those who have contributed in their various ways, directly and indirectly. All these people, acknowledged, are important to this thesis, their unflinching courage and motivation will always inspire me to continue, in my own way, the noble mission to which they gave to their lives. All these people mentioned and others not, I appreciate for this accomplishment. v SUMMARY This thesis analyzes the phonological and morphological nativisation of English loans in the Tonga language. The contact situation between English and Tonga, in Zimbabwe, facilitates transference of lexical items between the two languages. From having been one of the most widely used languages of the world, English has developed into the most influential donor of words to other languages such as Tonga. The infiltration of English words into the Tonga lexical inventory led to the adoption and subsequent nativisation of English words by the native Tonga speakers. The main deposit of English words into Tonga is the direct interaction between English and Tonga speakers. However, it is sometimes via other languages like Shona, Ndebele, Venda and Shangani. In the 21st century, English’s contribution to the vocabulary of Tonga became more widely spread, now covering a large proportion of the Tonga language’s lexical inventory. The fact that English is the medium of instruction, in Zimbabwe, language of technology, education, media, new administration, health, music, new religion and economic transactions means that it is regarded as the high variety language with coercive loaning powers. Words from English are then adopted and nativised in the Tonga language, since Tonga asserts itself an independent language that can handle loans on its own. The main focus of this study therefore, is to try and account for the phonological and morphological behavior and changes that take place in English words that enter into Tonga. Analyzing phonological processes that are employed during nativisation of loan words entails analyzing how Tonga speakers handle aspects of English language such as diphthongs, triphthongs, cluster consonants, CVC syllable structure and sounds in repairing unacceptable sequences in Tonga. The research also accounts for the handling of morphological differences between the two languages. This entails looking at how competence and ordered-rule framework are harmonized by Tonga speakers in repairing conflicting features at morphological level. Since the two languages have different morphological patterns, the research analyzes the repairing strategies to handle singular and plural noun prefixes, tenses and particles, which are morphological components of words. The researcher appreciates that the native Tonga speakers have robust intuitions on the proper way to nativise words. vi KEY TERMS Phonological nativisation, morphological nativisation, phonotactic constraints, phonological processes, epenthesis, vowel assimilation, syllabification, distinctive feature matrix, CV Phonology, Lexical Phonology and Morphology, diglossia, bilingualism, monolingualism, vowel coalescence, vowel harmony, prefixation and suffixation. vii LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND ABBREVIATIONS FIGURES Page Figure 1: Language Map of Africa…………………………………………………………3 Figure 2: Lexical Phonology and Morphology Model………………………………….. 13 Figure 3: Default Syllable Structure……………………………………………………. 17 Figure 4: Core Default Syllable Structure……………………………………………….. 42 Figure 5: Baseword Morphology………………………………………………………… 45 Figure 6: Distinctive Feature Matrix……………………………………………………… 46 Figure 7: Categorization of Distinctive Features………………………………………… 48 Figure 8: Binary Features………………………………………………………………… 50 Figure 9: Binary Features for Obstruents………………………………………………… 51 Figure 10: Binary Features for Vowels.. …………………………………………………. 52 Figure 11: Distinctive Feature Matrix for Vowels in Tonga……………………………… 54 Figure 12: The English Syllable…………………………………………………………… 55 Figure 13: Sonority Hierarchy Chart………………………………………………………. 56 Figure 14: Constituencies of a Syllable…………………………………………………… 57 Figure 15: Sonority Strength Hierarchy…………………………………………………… 58 Figure 16: Peak and Onset Algorithm……………………………………………………. 59 viii Figure 17: Onset and Coda Algorithm…………………………………………………. 60 Figure 18: Glide Formation……………………………………………………………….. 61 Figure 19: Morpho-Phonemic Process…………………………………………………… 63 Figure 20: Handling Vowel Sequence in Tonga…………………………………………… 63 Figure 21: Onset-First Principle………………………………………………………….. 66 Figure 22.1: Tail-Consonant Principle…………………………………………………….. 70 Figure 22.2: Tail-Consonant Principle…………………………………………………….. 71 Figure 23: Assigning Syllable Nodes………………………………………………….. 72 Figure 24: Open Syllable………………………………………………………………….. 74 Figure 25: Closed Syllable………………………………………………………………… 75 Figure 26: Light Syllable………………………………………………………………… 75 Figure 27: Heavy Syllable with Vowel Branching Rhyme……………………………… 76 Figure 28: Heavy Syllable with Short Vowel…………………………………………….. 76 Figure 29: Heavy Syllable…………………………………………………………………. 77 Figure 30: Lexicon Rules…………………………………………………………………. 79 Figure 31: Word Structure………………………………………………………………… 80 Figure 32: Diphthong……………………………………………………………………… 89 ix Figure 33: Phonemic Change…………………………………………………………….. 106 Figure 34: Glide [j] Epenthesis…………………………………………………………….. 109 Figure 35: Complex Consonants……………………………………………………………

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