The Speech Act of Greetings in Tshivenda by Joyce Mukhethoni Sibadela
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THE SPEECH ACT OF GREETINGS IN TSHIVENDA BY JOYCE MUKHETHONI SIBADELA Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the University of Stellenbosch. Study leader: Prof JA du Plessis MARCH 2002 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature Date Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ ABSTRACT The use of interpersonal verbal routines such as greetings is a universal phenomenon of human languages. All human speech communities have such formulas, although their character and the incidence of their use may vary enormously from one society to another. For several decades, greetings have been a recurrent object of inquiry for linguists and other human communication. Greetings are part of phatic communion, whereby people create ties of union and avoid silence, which is always alarming and dangerous. Communion among humans will often be marked in speech “phatically”. There is widespread evidence that greetings are an important part of the communicative competence necessary for being a member of any speech community. Greetings regularize patterns among members. Greeting has been often treated as if it was spontaneous emotional reaction to the coming together of people carrying overtly its own social message. Greeting expressions constitute an important part of the polite language. By greeting the speaker, indicates his attitude towards the addressee or starts a conversation with him. Greetings are often patterned expressions, which may vary among different nations. Most greetings perform primarily a phatic communion function; some greetings are used to convey information. Some culture does not operate non-verbal demonstration of respect of difference like bowing, or prostrating and kneeling, it makes up for this by insistence on the proper execution of verbal greetings, for example: Igbo culture does not operate non verbal, whereas Japanese, Joruba and even Vendas they do practice these non-verbal demonstrations. Cultural performances are influenced by social variables such as the ages, sex and status of the interactants. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ OPSOMMING Die gebruik van interpersoonlike mondelingse roetines, soos die handeling van groet, is ‘n universiele fenomeen van menslike taal. Alle menslike gemeenskappe het formules, alhoewel hulle karakter en die voorkoms van hulle gebruik, mag verskil van een gemeenskap tot ‘n ander. Vir dekades, was groet ‘n herhaalde onderwerp van ondersoek van taalkenners saam met ander aspekte van persoonlike kommunikasie. Die handeling van groet is ‘n deel van fatiese kommunikasie, waarby mense bande skep, en stilte vermy wat angswekkend kan wees. Kommunikasie tussen mense sal altyd na verwys word as faties in taalverskynsels. Daar is wydverspreide bewyse dat die handeling van groet ‘n belangrike deel van kommunikatiewe kompetensie is, wat noodsaaklik is vir 'n lid van enige gemeenskap geld. Groet reguleer voorbeelde van wedersydse verhoudings tussen groepelede. Groet is dikwels hanteer asof dit ‘n spontane emosionele reaksie by die saamkom van mense is wat hulle eie sosiale boodskap oordra. Die spraakhandeling van groet vorm ‘n belangrike deel van beleefdheidtaal. Deur te groet, bewys die persoon sy houding teenoor die ander persoon of begin om met die persoon 'n gesprek te voer. Die spraakhandeling van groet is dikwels voorbeelde van uitdrukkings wat verskil tussen verskillende taalgroepe. Die meeste groetvorme het ‘n primere fatiese gemeenskaps funksie, sommige begroetings word gebruik om informasie te verskaf. Sommige kulture maak nie gebruik van nie-verbale demonstrasies van respek of verskille soos neerbuiging of kniel, dit maak op vir die aandring op behoorlike gebruik van mondelinge begroeting, byvoorbeeld: Igbo kultuur maak nie gebruik van nie-verbale demonstrasies, waar Venda- kultuur gebruik maak van hierdie nie-verbale demonstrasies. Kulturele belewenis van die groetvorm word beVnvloed deur sosiale veranderlikes soos ouderdom, geslag en status. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ MAHUMBULWA U shumiswa ha maipfi a bulwaho nga mulomo Iwa tshifhinga tshothe u fana na u lumelisana, ndi zwithu zwi itwaho kha nyambo dzothe dza vhathu lifhasini lothe nga vhuphara. Nyambo dzothe dza vhathu lifhasini Jothe dzi na maitele o raloho, naho kubulelwe na hune dza shumiswa hone zwi sa fani ngauri dzitshaka na dzone dzo fhambana. U bva minwahani minzhi yo fhelaho, ndila ine vhathu vha lumelisana ngayo, tsho vha tshone tshi shumi swa tshe vhagudi vha dzinyambo vha tshishumisa tshifhinga tshothe u sedzulusa ndila ine vhathu vha amba ngayo (u davhidzana nga ho). U lumelisana zwi tanganya vhathu duvha linwe na linwe. Hu ita uri vhathu vha vhe tshithu tshithihi zwa dovha hafhu zwa thivhela uri vhathu vha dzule vho fhumula (kana u ita tshilomo ndundundu) ngauri maitele a u dzula vhathu vha sa ambi vhothe a a tshuwisa na hone a khombo vhukuma. Vhushaka vhu wanalaho vhukati ha vhathu vhu vhonala nga nyambedzano ya duvha linwe na linwe. Hu na tsumbo dzi re khagala dzi sumbedzaho uri u lumelisana ndi tshithu tsha vhuthogwa tshi sumbedzaho uri muthu u kona u amba luambo u guma ngafhi na uri u murado wa luambo lukene naa. U lumelisana zwi sumbedzisa uri muthu u wela kha tshigwada tshifhio tsha luambo. Maitele a u lumelisana a dzhiwa sa zwithu zwine vhathu vha sokou zwiita nga tshifhinga tshenetsho, zwi tshi khou bva kha zwipfi (vhupfiwa) havho musi vha tshi tangana nahone ulumelisa hu itiwa khagala ngauri hu na mulaedza wa matshilisano khaho. Maitele a u lumelisana a vhumba tshipida tsha vhuthogwa kha luambo Iwa vhulenda. Nga u tou lumelisa fhedzi muambi u vha a tshi khou sumbedza zwine a dzhiisa zwone hoyo ane a khou amba nae kana a mbo di thoma u ita nyambedzano nae. Kha u lumelisa, hu tou vha na kuambele kune vhathu vha lumelisi sana ngakwo - zwi tshi bva kha uri ndi lushaka lufhio. Maitele a u lumelisa kanzhi a shuma u tanganya vhathu kha duvha nga duvha, ngeno kha vhanwe u lumelisa zwitshi shumiswa u fhirisa mulaedza. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ Lunwe lushaka a lu shumisi maitele a u sa amba musi a tshi sumbedza thonifho zwi tshi ya ngauri muthu ndinnyi, u fana na u kwatama, u shuvhama kana u gwadama, lu imelela na u khwathisa maitele a u lumelisa nga u tou amba, tsumbo: Lushaka Iwa Igbo a lu shumisi maitele a u samba, ngeno vha Japani, vha Yoruba na vhavenda vha tshi shumisa maitele a u sa amba. Tshaka dza ita zwi tutuwedzwa nga u fhambana ha matshilele, mbeu, murafho na tshileme tsha u tanganelana ha vhathu. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ I dedicate my thesis to my dearest husband, Nnditsheni Nelson Sibadela, who encouraged me to continue during those moments of despair. Without him, there would be no success. Our beloved children, Hakhakhi Harriet and Mulinda Martin, who let me continue my studies without any disturb Glory to GOD! Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR NRF REPORT The financial assistance of National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the National Research Foundation. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to express my cordial thanks to my study leader, Prof JA du Plessis, without his expert supervision this study would not have been materialized. To him I say: “Na matslelo, vha ngaho vhone a vha dali”. My heartful thanks go to Prof Marianna Visser, who initiated me in the theoretical aspect of this study. To her I say: “U naka a hu fani na u diwa”. I am most grateful to those who helped me with collection of this greetings data. In particular I wish to thank Dr Dlali, Dr Satyo and the whole Department of African Languages at the Stellenbosch University, and not forgetting Avhatakali Makhado. My thanks go to Karin Vergeer, who so ably typed the entire thesis. To her I say: “May the Lord richly bless you.” I sincerely thank my spiritual father, Pastor MG Muhali mon E Muhali for praying for me and encouraged me in this study. To the Apostolic Faith Mission in Africa Congregation - let us pray hard to one another, to heal the world. To them I say: “Mashudu a munei a fhira a muneiwa, arali hu si vhe thabeto dze vha ntika nga dzo ndo vha ndi tshi do vha ndi si zwine nda vha zwone namusi.” Last, but not least, I wish to pass my gratitude to my mother, brothers and sisters who have really been with me through all the studies, not forgetting my late father, who passed way in 1998. Aa! Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract Opsomming..................................................................................................................... ii Abstract in Tshivenda.....................................................................................................iii Dedication........................................................................................................................v NRF Acknowledgement................................................................................................. vi Acknowledgement.......................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 A im