DOCSLIB.ORG

Loan Words from English and Orma Languages in Kipokomo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Loan Words from English and Orma Languages in Kipokomo LOAN WORDS FROM ENGLISH AND ORMA LANGUAGES IN KIPOKOMO BY FAITH UCHI SHUME C50/80750/2015 A PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LINGUISTICS, UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGES OCTOBER, 2017 DECLARATION This thesis is my original work and has not been submitted for the purpose of the award of a degree in any other University. Signature: ………………………………………… Dateː …………………………… FAITH UCHI SHUME This work has been submitted for examination with my approval as the officially assigned supervisor for the candidate: Signature: ………………………………………… Dateː …………………………… DR. JANE AKINYI ODUOR NGALA Signature: ………………………………………… Dateː …………………………… PROF. KITHAKA WA MBERIA ii DEDICATION I dedicate this work to: My dear parents, Mzee Shume and Mama Agnes Shume; My lovely sisters and brothers, Ken, Hope, Mark, Esther, Sharon, Lewis and Caleb; My uncles, Alistone Katana and Ngala Jillani. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the Lord God Almighty for the gift of good health, and favouring me in many ways. ‘Imela Papa.’ I am also grateful to the organisation of Bible Translation and Literacy (E.A.) for giving me an opportunity to study and also for supporting me in prayers. God bless you abundantly. My special appreciation goes to my supervisors, Dr. Jane and Prof. Kithaka wa Mberia, for their full support which made me firmly believe that I could make it to the end successfully. For their continuous support and dedication towards the success of this study, may God, the Almighty, bless them abundantly. I also would like to acknowledge and appreciate the some lectures in the Department of Linguistics and Languages: the Prof Okoth Okombo, Prof Lucia Omondi, Dr. Helga Schröder, Dr. Gideon Marete, Dr. Alfred Buregeya and Mr. Basilio Mungania. I am also grateful to the non academic staffs. I would like to thank my classmates Martha, Robert, David, Irene, Lucia, Akinyi and Emily. Thank you for the support and your encouragement. God bless you in all your ways. Lastly, my special gratitude goes to everyone who participated in one way or another towards the success of this research. God bless you all. iv ABSTRACT This work is an attempt to describe the phonological adaptations of English and Orma loanwords into Upper Kipokomo within the Optimality Theory framework developed by Allan Prince and Paul Smolensky (1993, 2002). The study addressed the following research questions: (i) Which vowel processes are applied to English and Orma words as they are borrowed into Upper Kipokomo? (ii) Which consonants processes are applied to English and Orma words as they are borrowed into Upper Kipokomo? (iii) Has the phonology of Upper Kipokomo been affected by the repair strategies that operate on the loan words? The data was collected in Tana River County through questionnaires. The findings of the research have pointed out that vowel epenthesis is the most preferred repair strategy for illicit codas and consonant clusters in Upper Kipokomo. Secondly, most of the consonants from English and Orma into Upper Kipokomo proved to be faithful. Thirdly, English and Orma syllable structures are changed into CV syllables in Upper Kipokomo. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .................................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ....................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................ v TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................. x LIST OF SYMBOLS ............................................................................................................................ xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................. xiii CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background to the study ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Research Problem .................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Research Questions ........................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Objectives of the Study ..................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Justification of the Study .................................................................................................................. 3 1.6 Scope and Limitations of the study ................................................................................................... 4 1.7 Definition of Concepts ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.8 Literature Review .............................................................................................................................. 6 1.9 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................................... 9 1.9.1 Principles of Optimality Theory .............................................................................................. 12 1.9.1.1 Generator ........................................................................................................................... 12 1.9.1.2 Evaluator ........................................................................................................................... 13 1.9.1.3 Constraint .......................................................................................................................... 13 1.10 Research Hypotheses .................................................................................................................... 16 1.11 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 16 1.11.1 Data Collection ...................................................................................................................... 16 1.11.2 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 17 1.12 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 17 vi CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................... 18 PHONEMIC INVENTORIES OF UPPER KIPOKOMO, ENGLISH AND ORMA SOUNDS . 18 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Upper Kipokomo Sound Inventory ................................................................................................. 18 2.2.1 Upper Kipokomo Consonants .................................................................................................. 18 2.2.2 Upper Kipokomo Vowels ................................................................................................. 22 2.3 English Sound Inventory ................................................................................................................. 23 2.3.1 English Consonants .................................................................................................................. 23 2.3.2 English Vowels ................................................................................................................. 24 2.4 Orma Sound Inventory .............................................................................................................. 26 2.4.1 Orma Consonants ..................................................................................................................... 26 2.4.2 Orma Vowels ........................................................................................................................... 28 2.5 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................. 31 PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN THE ADAPTION OF LOANWORDS ...... 31 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 31 3.2 Upper
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Dentality, Areal Features, and Phonological Change in Northeastern Bantu*
    Studies in African Linguistics Volume 16, Number 3, December 1985 DENTALITY, AREAL FEATURES, AND PHONOLOGICAL CHANGE IN NORTHEASTERN BANTU* Derek Nurse University of British Columbia A minority of the world's languages appear to have a series of dental (as opposed to alveolar) obstruents. Proto-Bantu does not have such a series, nor do most East African Bantu lan­ guages. By contrast, three Bantu languages in northeastern Kenya (the northern Swahili dialects, Pokomo, E1wana) have ac­ quired such a series, which thus merits explanation. There are three mechanisms involved: (a) the borrowing of loan sounds along with loan vocabulary, (b) a simple phonological shift whereby inherited alveolars moved one place to become den­ tal, and (c) a more complicated shift whereby inherited (pre) palatals bypassed an intervening alveolar series to become den­ tal, a process little reported in the literature. It is hy­ pothesised that these forms of denta1isation took place u~der historical conditions of contact with neighboring Cushitic communities--not the larger Eastern Cushitic communities of today (Somali, Orma), but rather the ancestral forms of what are now remnant languages, (probably) Southern Cushitic Daha10 and (possible) Eastern Cushitic Aweera. 1. Introduction Our purpose is to attempt to explain the appearance of denta1ity as an areal innovation in the consonant systems of the Bantu (Sabaki) langua~es of the Lower Tana region of northeastern Kenya. A series of dental stops occurs in a minority of languages wor1d~ide. If we take the selection of 700 languages in Ruh1en [1976] to be representative of the world's languages, then we find the following.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Linguistics and the Comparative Study of African Languages
    Historical Linguistics and the Comparative Study of African Languages UNCORRECTED PROOFS © JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1st proofs UNCORRECTED PROOFS © JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1st proofs Historical Linguistics and the Comparative Study of African Languages Gerrit J. Dimmendaal University of Cologne John Benjamins Publishing Company Amsterdam / Philadelphia UNCORRECTED PROOFS © JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1st proofs TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American 8 National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dimmendaal, Gerrit Jan. Historical linguistics and the comparative study of African languages / Gerrit J. Dimmendaal. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. African languages--Grammar, Comparative. 2. Historical linguistics. I. Title. PL8008.D56 2011 496--dc22 2011002759 isbn 978 90 272 1178 1 (Hb; alk. paper) isbn 978 90 272 1179 8 (Pb; alk. paper) isbn 978 90 272 8722 9 (Eb) © 2011 – John Benjamins B.V. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. John Benjamins Publishing Company • P.O. Box 36224 • 1020 me Amsterdam • The Netherlands John Benjamins North America • P.O. Box 27519 • Philadelphia PA 19118-0519 • USA UNCORRECTED PROOFS © JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1st proofs Table of contents Preface ix Figures xiii Maps xv Tables
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluating Language Revitalization in Kenya: the Contradictory Face and Place of the Local Community Factor OGONE JOHN OBIERO University of Leipzig, Germany
    Nordic Journal of African Studies 17(4): 247–268 (2008) Evaluating Language Revitalization in Kenya: The Contradictory Face and Place of The Local Community Factor OGONE JOHN OBIERO University of Leipzig, Germany ABSTRACT As a result of the necessity to revitalize languages that have shown clear signs of endangerment, several proposals have been put forward by various studies (Paulston, 1994; Yamamoto, 1998; Landweer, 1998; Crystal, 2000; Hinton and Hale, 2001; Tsunoda, 2005; UNESCO, 2003; and Grenoble and Whaley, 2006), all of which appear to agree with Fishman (1991) on the centrality of the community whose language is endangered in leading the advocacy for the revival. Some other studies such as Krauss (1992), Rubin (1999), and Crawford (1996) have been very explicit on the community factor, separately arguing that the responsibility of language renewal should first rest upon the local community. However, such indigenous communities will usually have had their essence of togetherness disrupted to the extent that a concerted effort towards a goal envisaged as ‘communal’ is near inconceivable. Considering that language shift is often accompanied by a concomitant change in values, to expect local variables to provide the spark as well as sustain the fire for language revitalization is to assume that feelings of group identity remain intact for such a community when language shift takes place (which is not always the case). This article seeks to report on how factors internal to the Suba community of Kenya are affecting efforts to revitalize their heritage language. An examination of the community variables are here guided by parameters of vitality expounded in Grenoble and Whaley (2006), but with continuous references to the studies cited above.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Working Document for the National Constitutional Conference
    SPECIAL WORKING DOCUMENT FOR THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE REPORT ON CULTURE PREPARED BY THE COMMISSION AND APPROVED FOR ISSUE AT A STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 19TH AUGUST, 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. 1 FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................ 7 PART I: THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND ITS APPLICATION ...................................... 22 1.0 MANDATE ....................................................................................................................... 22 2.0 THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND ITS APPLICATION..................................... 22 2.1 Definition of Culture................................................................................................ 22 2.2 What Culture is not.................................................................................................. 23 2.3 Culture As Applied To Development...................................................................... 23 2.4 Culture, Policy And Development Planning ........................................................... 26 2.5 Culture, Linguistic Diversity And Language Policy ............................................... 31 2.6 Globalizations and Culture .....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests
    THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION NOMINATION DOSSIER FOR INSCRIPTION ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST THE SACRED MIJIKENDA KAYA FORESTS (KENYA) JANUARY 2008 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY State Party: Republic of Kenya Name of Property: The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests (Serial Nomination) Geographical co-ordinates to the nearest second: Serial Name District Coordinates of Total No. Centre Point Area deg: min: sec (ha) 001 Kaya Giriama (Fungo) Kaloleni S 03 47 55 204 E 39 30 52 002 Kaya Jibana Kaloleni S 03 50 15 140 E 39 40 10 003 Kaya Kambe Kaloleni S 03 51 49 75 E 39 39 07 004 Kaya Kauma Kilifi S 03 37 14 75 E 39 44 10 005 Kaya Ribe Kaloleni S 03 53 49 36 E 39 37 58 006 The Rabai Kayas Kaloleni S 03 55 55 580 E 39 35 46 007 The Duruma Kayas Kinango S 03 59 54 398 E 39 31 25 008 Kaya Kinondo Msambweni S 04 23 36 30 E 39 32 41 Maps: See attached map of Series Note: There are no nominated buffer zones. However, the communal lands immediately outside the forest are regulated by customary laws / taboos and practices shaped by longstanding association between the local communities and the nominated sites. Justification: The Mijikenda Sacred Kaya forests are an outstanding and unique African example of how the collective attitudes and beliefs of a rural society have shaped or sculpted a landscape over time in response to prevailing needs. They contain the traces of historic fortified settlements of the Mijikenda ancestors which serve as a focus of cultural and ritual activities continuing on the sites today.
    [Show full text]
  • Language Endangerment and Language Maintenance: Can Endangered Indigenous Languages of Kenya Be Electronically Preserved?
    International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 3 No. 7; April 2013 Language Endangerment and Language Maintenance: Can Endangered Indigenous Languages of Kenya Be Electronically Preserved? Eric W. Wamalwa Department of Kiswahili Stella Maris Mtwara University College, Tanzania Stephen B. J. Oluoch Department of Arts and Humanities Kisii University, Kenya Abstract United Nations Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) contend that languages are the centre piece of the cultural diversity of the world yet they are also a vulnerable part of the world’s cultural heritage. According to UNESCO there are about 6,000 languages spoken in the world. Unfortunately, currently there are only eight languages of wider communication in the whole world. In spite of the importance of language as a component of cultural diversity, over 417 languages all over the world are endangered. In Kenya, over eight languages are endangered among them: Terik, El Molo, Ogiek, Omotik, Bong’om, Sogoo, Suba and Yaaku. Some of these languages have already been classified as being extinct by UNESCO. This paper addresses the need to preserve and maintain endangered indigenous languages. The paper has highlighted the current state of language endangerment in Kenya. The following observations are made: most African languages have not been phonemically coded. Given the length of time that is taken for a language to be phonemically coded, many languages whose vitality is critically endangered need an urgent means for their preservation. The paper recommends for an electronic method to be considered for preservation of the endangered languages. Key words: Cultural Diversity, Language Endangerment, Language Preservation, Electronic preservation, Indigenous Languages Introduction Cultural diversity is essential to human heritage (UNESCO, 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • The Language and Dialect Atlas of Kenya Project 1973-80
    The Language and Dialect Atlas of Kenya Project 1973-80 Bernd Heine Institut für Afrikanistik University of Cologne [email protected] 1. The Project Work on the language atlas of Kenya (Sprachen- und Dialektatlas Kenia ), directed by Bernd Heine and Wilhelm Möhlig of the Institut für Afrikanistik , University of Cologne, was carried out between 1973 and 1980. This work benefited from earlier field work that the author was able to conduct within the mapping project Afrika-Kartenwerk between 1969 and 1971 (Heine & Köhler 1981).1 Responsibility within the atlas project was divided up between the two directors, in that Wilhelm Möhlig was in charge of Bantu languages and Bernd Heine of non-Bantu languages; the present paper highlights most of all the latter part of the project. The project was carried out in cooperation with the Department of Linguistics and African Languages of the University of Nairobi, to which I wish to express my deeply-felt gratitude for all the support it gave to the project. 2 The objectives of the project were quite comprehensive, they included the following goals: (a) Document all languages and dialects spoken natively in Kenya; (b) Describe their geographical distribution; (c) Define the relationship among the languages. (d) Search for appropriate models to account for dialect continua; (e) Describe the sociolinguistic situation of Kenya; (f) Describe the knowledge and use of the two main second languages, Swahili and English, and their role in national communication; (g) Document all endangered languages. Research techniques were based on 1 I wish to express my gratitude to the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Society), which sponsored both projects.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Kenya
    Conservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Kenya Heritage and Cultural Natural Conservation of In Kenya, cultural and natural heritage has a particular value. Its prehistoric heritage not only tells the story of man's origin and evolution but Conservation has also contributed to the understanding of the earth's history, via fossils and artefacts spanning over 27 million years that have been discovered and conserved by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). Alongside this, the steady rise in the market value of African art has also affected Kenya: demand for African tribal art has surpassed that for antiquities of of Roman, Byzantine, and Egyptian origin, and in African countries currently experiencing conflicts, this activity invariably attracts looters, traffickers and criminal networks. This book brings together essays by heritage experts from different Natural backgrounds, including conservation, heritage management, museum studies, archaeology, environment and social sciences, architecture and landscape, geography, philosophy and economics to explore three key themes: the underlying ethics, practices and legal issues of heritage and conservation; the exploration of architectural and urban heritage of Nairobi; and the natural heritage, landscapes and sacred sites in relation to local Kenyan communities and tourism. It thus provides an overview of conservation practices in Kenya from 2000 to 2015 and highlights the role of natural and cultural heritage as a key factor of social-economic Cultural development, and as a potential instrument for conflict resolution. ANNE-MARIE DEISSER is Research Associate at the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Nairobi and Honorary Research Associate at UCL’s Institute of Archaeology, London.
    [Show full text]
  • Language and Identity Among Marginal People in East Africa
    Language and Identity among marginal people in East Africa MAARTEN MOUS Leiden University - Centre for Linguistics Abstract Language is one of the strongest expressions of group identity. Many communities in East Africa are multilingual and for some of the smaller communities this leads to language loss and for others to language revival. The article shows how different groups in similar circumstances opt for different linguistic behaviour and how these choices can swiftly change in the light of external circumstances including econom- ic need. The article examines the linguistic attitude of groups such as the Yaaku, Aasa, Akiek, Ma’á/Mbugu from East Africa and compares them among each other and with other former hunter-gatherers such as the Bakola/Bagyele pygmies in Cameroon and the agricultural Mbugwe from Tanzania who are equally small in numbers. Keywords Ethnic identity; language loss, dorobo, East Africa, hunter-gatherers 218 1. MARGINAL PEOPLE IN EAST AFRICA My aim in this article is to provide an overview and an analysis how vari- ous smaller communities deal with group identity and how this affects their linguistic ideologies. I use the term “marginal” despite its negative connota- tions.1 Many of those small populations have or had their own ethnic identity and language and now either live in symbiosis with and depending on an- other population (the various so-called dorobo2 groups) or live (still or until recently) from hunting and gathering. What I am interested in is how such groups find a way out in the current society and a way to survive, how they create a self-image that allows them to have enough self-respect to develop.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Daily Prayer Guide for All Africa People Groups & All LR-Upgs = Least-Reached
    2020 Daily Prayer Guide for all Africa People Groups & Least-Reached-Unreached People Groups (LR-UPGs) Source: Joshua Project data, www.joshuaproject.net To order prayer resources or for inquiries, contact email: [email protected] 2020 Daily Prayer Guide for all Africa People Groups & all LR-UPGs = Least-Reached--Unreached People Groups. All 48 Africa countries & 8 islands & People Groups & LR-UPG are included. LR-UPG defin: less than 2% Evangelical & less than 5% total Christian Frontier definition = FR = 0.1% Christian or less AFRICA SUMMARY: 3,702 total Africa People Groups; 957 total Africa Least-Reached--Unreached People Groups. Downloaded in October 2019 from www.joshuaproject.net * * * Color code: green = begin new area; blue = begin new country shaded = LR-UPG; white-not shaded = not LR-UPG * * * "Prayer is not the only thing we can can do, but it is the most important thing we can do!" * * * Let's dream God's dreams, and fulfill God's visions -- God dreams of all people groups knowing & loving Him! * * * Revelation 7:9, "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." Why Should We Pray For Unreached People Groups? * Missions & salvation of all people is God's plan, God's will, God's heart, God's dream, Gen. 3:9,15! * In the Great Commissions Jesus commanded us to reach all peoples in the world, Matt.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Technical Note on Indigenous Peoples' Issues
    Country Technical Note on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues Republic of Kenya Country Technical Notes on Indigenous Peoples‘ Issues The Republic of Kenya Submitted by: IWGIA April 2012 Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IFAD concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The designations ‗developed‘ and ‗developing‘ countries are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process. All rights reserved Table of Contents Country Technical Note on Indigenous Peoples‘ Issues- The Republic of Kenya ......... 1 Summary .................................................................................................................... 1 1. The indigenous peoples of Kenya ......................................................................... 2 1.1 The national context ................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Terminology ............................................................................................................ 4 1.3 The indigenous peoples of Kenya ..............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Sw Ahili-Loanwords in Oromo
    AAP 51 (1997) 157-164 SWAHILI-LOANWORDS IN OROMO CATHERINE GRIEFENOW-MEWIS It is not unexpected that we can find several Swahili-loanwords in Otomo because Swahili- and Otomospeaking people were neighboUis for, at least, several centUiies. If we are looking for Swahili-loanwords in Otomo we have, ofcomse, to examine the southem Oromo-dialects first. Table 1 contains a map of the Otomo-dialects which Bemd Heine published in his book The Waata dialect of Oromo in 1981; table 2 shows a detailed map of Otomo speaking tribes in Kenya, published by Harry Stroomer in his book A Comparative Study of Three Southem Oromo Dialects in Kenya in 1987. Though the description of the different Oromo-dialects cannot be called satisfactory we have a good basis for comparisons of the southem Otomo-dialects with the two mentioned books by Heine and Stroomer. In addition I found a lot of material in the preprint of a big Borana-English Dictionary compiled by Rev. Ton Leus who is working in Southem Ethiopia in a Borana speaking area; and I found some interesting examples in An Oromo-English Vocabulary by the Revs.. Ton Leus, Joseph Van de Loo and George Cotter who in this vocabulary published 7, 700 English words with their approximations in the Macha, Guji and Bmana dialects ofOmmo .. In table 3 I indicate a list of 28 loanwords in Otomo which I found in, at least, two of the mentioned sources and which are called s,vahili-loan\vords by some of the authors. For comparison I also gave the equivalents which I found for the English words of my list in the Handbook of the Oromo Language by Mohammed Ali and Andtzt<i Zaborski which is based on the Harar dialect of Otomo, though among the examples only the word bishingaa 'millet' shows a relation to the Borana-word misinga, in Swahili msinga.
    [Show full text]