A Historical Perspective and Linguistic Analysis of Onomastic Elements with Special Reference to the Shangase Clan
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A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF ONOMASTIC ELEMENTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SHANGASE CLAN SIBUSISO ELPHUS SHANGASE DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE FACULTY OF HUMANANITIES, DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL HOWARD COLLEGE, DURBAN Supervisor Prof S.E. Ngubane Date DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby declare that: "A Historical perspective and Linguistic Analysis of Onomastic Elements with Special Reference to the Shangase Clan " is my own work both in conception and execution. The sources used have been indicated by means of complete reference, and also that I am responsible for the opinions and ideas expressed and examples given in this thesis. SIGNATURE DATE (i) DEDICATION TO: My late father Inkosi Simangenduku My late mother Mashozi (MaDinunganga) My wife Eunice Eugenia (KaMaphumulo) My late wife Phumzile Purity (MaHlophe) My daughters Sibusisiwe Siphindile Nomvula Siduduzile My sons Sibonelo Sikhumbuzo Siphilile Siphamandla Sizwesethu My Grandsons Siphesihle Siyethemba (ii) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am highly indebted to the following: Prof S.E. Ngubane, my supervisor, for nurturing my academic skills in linguistic onomastics and whose scholarly and unretiring guidance, patience and enthusiasm have enabled me to further research for this thesis. The Library Head - Ms Patience Mthiyane and the University of KwaZulu-Natal Library staff at the Malherbe and Killie Campbell Libraries. Prof Jacobs and ProfE. de Kadt for the help and guidance they offered me whenever I needed information from their linguistic expertise. My infonnants: Mr L.K. Shangase and Mr J.K. Shangase and others for offering me knowledge from their historical background of the Shangase clan. My wife, my daughters and sons who supported me during the research of this thesis. My son-in-law, Mr Thami Ndinisa who, when encouraging me would say: "Baba ayiqhubeke 1- PHD thesis, nathi siyeza." INkosi P.P. Luthuli who furnished me with the duties and functions of traditional leaders (Amakhosi) and also Dr G.BJ. Ndlela for referring me to the White Paper on Local Government (1998). (iii) Mr Sibonelo Shangase for his skillful typing of this thesis. My colleagues and friends for their personal encouragement and contribution and also for the useful information we shared and the discussions we had, especially Senziwe Rejoice Ngonyama for her sincere help during times of need. (iv) ABSTRACT The overall questions that were provided in the higher degrees proposal have been fairly answered throughout this doctoral dissertation. The following questions have been asked and answered throughout the thesis: I.What has been identified a's changes from traditional naming practices to Western naming practices? , 2.What morphophological comparisons can be made in naming practices? 3.What influenced the cultural and historical background and language of the Shangase clan? 4.Every social group of people has certain norms of behaviour. How does this culturally and structurally affect the system of naming within the Shangase Clan? 5.Since there are different language names, how are these names related, or can any: system of their relationship be found within the Shangase Clan? 6.From which parts of speech are different names (which are nouns) normally derived and what prefixal and suffixal elements are applied? 7. What poetic techniques can be used to analyse the personal praises or praise names of Kings, Royal Family Members and the ordinary people? It has therefore, been realized that the personal names and place names are well known to have played a more substantial role in the identification of different people and places of different clans. Surnames and address names have promoted the identification and classification of different clans. The researcher has used both the qualitative and quantitative research methodologies as tools for data collection. Research methods have entailed verbal descriptive (v) practices, which include oral inquiries, questionnaires, interviews and observational information. The purpose of this research has been to locate the study within the context of the topic and the historical background ofthe Shangase people which eventually deals with personal names, place-names and personal praises. The literature has been reviewed according to the recommendations of the researcher's supervisor ProfS.E. Ngubane. Five scholars were chosen and the focus was on history, genealogy, linguistic, onomastics of personal names, place-names and how these names are derived and changed from time to time with naming practices changing from generation to generation. This has enabled every member of the Shangase clan to identify himself easily with the founder, Shangase (Mkheshane), son of Vumizitha, of Mthebe of Mnguni 1. The researcher's main objective has been to focus on the history and genealogy of the Shangase clan from the time ofVumizitha (d.c.l688) to the present time (AD 2006), how personal names and place names are given when one looks at the circumstances of naming and history surrounding the names and the linguistic analysis of the onomactic elements. The personal names, place names and praise names are analysed and synthesized within the parameters of word formation, and as words they are isolated or syntactically used to assign a particular meaning in Zulu. Lastly, the researcher is mostly interested in this study because, as a member of the Shangase Community, he has a thorough knowledge of where the Shangase clan is located. The researcher's method of interviews using interview questionnaires assisted him to accomplish the main objectives. Through these interviews and observations, the researcher highly recommends that those who might be able to read this thesis, and feel interested and create new challenges in the field of onomastics, which the researcher hopes this thesis has done, should further undertake a study of personal praises within the Shangase clan. (vi) IQOQA Imibuzo iyonke esihlelwe eqophelweni eliphezulu leziqu zeNyonivesi, ziphendulwe kahle kuwowonke lomsebenzi. Imibuzo yilena elandelayo: 1. Yikuphi okubonakale kuwushintsho ekuqanjweni kwamagama akudala kunawamanje? 2.Yikuphi okuqhathaniswa ngokwesakhiwo samagama okungaba khona ohlelweni / emikhubeni yokuqamba amagama? 3.Yini okungathelela umgogodla wesikompilo nomlando nolimi emndenini wakwaShangase? 4.Abantu abaphila ndawonye banendlela yabo yokuziphatha. Lokhu kungayithinta kanjani indlela yokuqanjwa kwamagama kwaShangase? 5.Njengoba amagama eqanjwe ngezilimi ezahlukene, lamagama ahlobene kanjani? 6.Amagama abantu asuselwa kuziphi izingcezu zenkulumo, futhi yiziphi iziphongozo nezijobelelo ezingasetshenziswa? 7.Zingahlaziwa kanjani izibongo zamakhosi, namalunga omndeni aseNdlunkulu nabantu phaqa ngokuvenza ubunkondlo bazo? Ngakhoke, amagama abantu nawezindawo abambe iqhaza elikhulu ekuzibonakaliseni kwabantu nezindawo zabo ezahlukene. Izibongo (amagama emindeni) nezithakazelo kusizile ukuba abantu bazibone nokuba bazazi futhi bazihlukanise kahle. Umcwaningi walo msebenzi usebenzise indlela yokubheka okusemqoka kuphela kanye nokuningi njengendlela yakhe yokucwaninga ulwazi. Izindlela zokucwaninga beziphethe ukuchaza ngokukhuluma, ukubuza ngokukhuluma, imibuzo ebhalwe phansi, ukubuza nokuphendula kanye nokubonwa nokutholwe umcwaningi. Inhloso enkulu yalolucwaningo ukubeka lomsebenzi engqikithini yesihloko nomlando wabakwaShangase, ekugcineni uphathe amagama abantu, ezindawo nezibongo. (vii) Ukubukezwa kwemisebenzi yababhali ngokwenani kwanconywa nguye uProf. S.E. Ngubane ukuba babe yisihlanu kuphela. Abaqhokwa baqokelwa umkhakha wezomlando, nesihlahla somndeni, ukuhlaziwa kolimi nokuqanjwa kwamagama. Lokhu kusize ukuba amalungu omndeni wakwaShangase wonkana akwazi ukuzixhumanisa nongumsunguli wesibongo sakwaShangase. Okuyinhlosongqangi yalolucwaningo ukubheka umlando nesihlahla sokuzalana komndeni kusukela umlando kuVumizitha (d.c.l688) kuzekube manje, nanokuthi amagama abantu nezindawo aqanjwa kanjani uma sibheka izimo zomlando aqanjwa phezu kwazo, nokuthi amagama angahlaziwa kanjani ngokwesakhiwo sawo ukuze agcine ethula incazelo ezwakalayo. Okokugcina, umcwaningi uyilunga lomphakathi wakwaShangase ngokokuzalwa, futhi ungowasebukhosini, yingakho enolwazi ngalababantu baseThafamasi. Ukuxhumana nabantu kulendawo ngemibuzo ebhaliwe kuzise umcwaningi ukuba afeze izinhloso ezinzulu zalolucwaningo. N.gakhoke umcwaningi uyancoma ukuba emkhakheni wezibongo sengathi bekungaqhutshekwa kucwaningisiswe. Umcwaningi uthi abangaqhubeka babhale njengoba kunconyiwe ngenhla kungaba yikho umcwaningi angobona ngakho umphumela omuhle walo msebenzi. (viii) TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENT PAGE DECLARATION .. .......... .............. .. .. ..... .... ...... ....... .......... (i) DEDICATION ... .. ... .... ................ ...... ... ... .............. .. ......... (ii) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................ .......................... (1· ii) ABSTRACT ................. ........ .. .. ........ .... ...... ... ................... (v) TABLE OF CONTENTS. .... .... ... .... ... ..... .. .... .... .... .... .......... ... (ix) CHAPTER 1 1.0 BRIEF OUTLINE OF TOPIC AND NAMING PRACTICE 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 DEFINITION OF TERMS 3 1.3 LITERATURE REVIEW 17 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 26 CHAPTER 2 2.0 A BROAD CULTURAL OVERVIEW OF THE SHANGASE CLAN. 36 2.1 INTRODUCTION 36 2.2 THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 37 2.3 THE SOCIO-CULTURAL FAMIL Y AND THE CLAN 44 2.3.1 THE SOCIAL HOMESTEAD AND ITS STRUCTURE 44 2.3 .1.1 The Great