Department of Languages and Literature

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AN ACCOUNT OF INTERCULTURAL CONTACT IN NYAKYUSA PERSONAL NAMES
(African Study Monographs, 2018) Lusekelo, Amani
The impact of intercultural contact in African societies may be well articulated by examining personal names bestowed to children. The contact between different cultures yields different naming systems, apparent in the trends in personal names of children in the Nyakyusa community in Tanzania. Qualitative analysis of a sample of 220 personal names collected by the author yielded three layers: a layer of names with words and clauses with meaning in Nyakyusa language, another layer of names starting with mwa- which indicates the descent of the family, and yet another layer of nativized English, Swahili and/or Christian names. The findings were consistent with another sample of 786 names of primary school pupils in rural areas, foreign names accounted for about 60 percent of all names outnumbering, by far, the indigene names. It may follow that most parents in the Nyakyusa community opt for foreign names rather than native ones. This paper is a testimony that traditions in the Nyakyusa naming system are diminishing.
Adaptation of Sukuma Loanwords in the Western Dialects of Datooga (Taturu) and its Dialectological Implications
(ETHNOLOGIA ACTUALIS, 2019) Lusekelo, Amani
The exchange of linguistic materials between languages which come into contact is indeed reciprocal. The previous accounts of the outcome of contact between Datooga and Sukuma was skewed towards impact of Datooga on Sukuma. Based on ethnolinguistic vitality approach, the Datooga tend to reveal solidarity-related social identity by acquiring their language as a mother tongue. They also reveal prestige-related social identity by acquiring Sukuma language which is the prestigious lingua franca of the Itumba area in Igunga District. Moreover, the Datooga envisaged mechanisms to either isolate out-group members using their ethnonyms. Based on a list of 250 loanwords, this paper highlights the substitutive borrowing of kinship terms and additive borrowing of agricultural terms. The Sukuma loanwords penetrate into the Datooga lexicon.
Additive and Substitutive Borrowing against Semantic Broadening and Narrowing in the Names of Architectural Structures in Tanzanian Bantu Languages
(UJAH, 2017) Lusekelo, Amani
The thrust of this paper lies on semantic changes associated with additive and substitutive borrowing in Bantu-speaking communities in Tanzania. Due to contact of languages, semantic differences of the terms related to architectural structures emanate. Apart from data from a few elderly native speakers, research was carried out with the help of undergraduate students of linguistics. Further linguistic materials analysed herein come from dictionaries and lexicons. Although retention of the proto- Bantu words are apparent, findings indicate that cases of additive borrowing are obvious for new concepts associated with new architectural structures. The additive Swahili names incorporated into Tanzanian Bantu tend to designate specific concepts associated with modern (contemporary) architectural senses such as mulango ‘modern door’ vs. luigi ‘traditional entranceway’. Cases of substitutive borrowing are rare, as demonstrated by the Swahili word dirisha ‘window’ which replaces chitonono in Chimakonde, echihúru in Runyambo, ilituulo in Kinyakyusa etc.
Affinity between Poetry and Philosophy: Investigation of Muzale’s Nakuomba
(Kioo cha Lugha, Vol. 12, 2014:113-130, 2014) Samwel, Method
Poetry is a literary work which, as other genres of literature, performs two main functions in the society, educating and entertaining. In so doing, poetry, like philosophy, questions existing concepts and ideas, clarifies them, critically analyses those concepts and ideas and formulates a world view in a logical manner. Also, poetry, just like philosophy, is filled with wisdom which if accepted and utilized by the society, is likely to enhance socio-economic and political development. This paper is of the view that what philosophy and poetry do is similar to the extent that philosophy and poetry can be treated the same. That is to say, poets are philosophers of some kind. To present that, the paper analyses philosophical values of Muzale’s Nakuomba poems. Ushairi ni kazi ya fasihi ambayo, kama tanzu nyingine za fasihi, una dhima kuu mbili katika jamii, kuelimisha na kuburudisha. Katika kutimiza dhima hizo, ushairi, kama ilivyo falsafa, huhoji dhana na mawazo yaliyopo, hufafanua, na kuhakiki dhana na mawazo yaliyopo katika jamii, na huunda mtazamo mpya wenye mantiki zaidi. Aidha, ushairi, kama tu ilivyo falsafa, umejaa mambo mbalimbali ya busara ambayo kama yatakubaliwa na kutekelezwa na jamii, yanaweza kuleta maendeleo ya kijamii, kiuchumi na kisiasa. Makala haya yanaibua hoja kuwa ushairi na falsafa zina majukumu yanayofanana sana katika jamii kiasi kwamba ushairi na falsafa huweza kuchukuliwa kama vitu vinavyofanana sana. Hii ni kusema kuwa, washairi ni wanafalsafa kwa namna fulani. Ili kubainisha hilo, makala yanachambua masuala mbalimbali ya kifalsafa yanayobainika katika mashairi yaliyomo katika diwani ya Muzale ya Nakuomba.
African Philosophy: A Link Between Modern and Traditional African Poetry,
(Journal of Education, Humanities and Sciences, Volume 3 Nos. 1 & 2, 2014:27-44, 2014) Samwel, Method
This article argues that traditional and modern praise poetry do relate. This relationship is from the fact that the two are similar in several aspects ranging from content to form. Only one similarity among them, similarity in philosophy, is discussed here. The article, therefore, presents how different kinds of African poetry of different generations can never diverge totally from African philosophy. That is to say, both traditional and modern praise poetry carry similar beliefs; how Africans see things is viewed in similar way in the two kinds of poetry. Traditional praise poetry used here is Bahaya’s praise poetry, ebyebugo, and the praises seen in Basukuma songs while modern poetry used here is Bongo Flavor praise poetry. Bahaya and Basukuma are people who live in North – Western and Lake Zone in Tanzania. Bongo Flavor is Tanzanian youth music which is characterized by self praises. Therefore, we can simply say this article picks Tanzanian traditional and modern praise poetry as samples of African traditional and modern poetry respectively.
Agreement between nPs and modifiers in Bantu DPs
(Dar es Salaam University College of Education, 2018) Ndomba, Rodrick Gregory
Agreement is one of the conspicuous characteristics of structural relations holding among the categories or elements in syntactic constituents—clauses and phrases—in Bantu languages. This paper focuses on agreement relations in nominal phrases, specifically agreement between nouns (nPs) and respective elements, also called modifiers, in Bantu languages. The paper is premised around the Noam Chomsky’s minimalist approach, which assumes that items or elements in a phrase or clause standing in an agreement configuration are arranged via successive Merger binary operations taking place in a bottom-up fashion. Using evidence from Kiswahili, the paper argues that the agreement between head nouns and its modifiers of DP in Bantu languages stem from the raising of the head noun – nP. The approach to deriving agreement in Bantu DPs pursued departs from head specifier relations via government and the raising of N to class prefix via probe goal relations. The paper has assumed that proper agreement is a function of syntactic operations, specifically the raising of XP (nP) to Spec DP.
Are we experiencing a ‘post-method’ era in second language teaching?
(Journal of Education, Humanities, and Sciences, 2015) Ndomba, Rodrick Gregory
Approaches to Second Language teaching have been changing over time. The pivotal force behind the changes globally has been the quest for the best approach. New methods have emerged as old ones are discarded, with less prospects to achieve the best. This paper revisits the chronology of events characterizing the war of methods globally, and highlights key current issues underlining English language teaching in Tanzanian secondary schools. Central to the battle on methods is the need for proper preparation of English language teachers amid claims that their linguistic and methodological standards have been on the decline over decades. Indeed, the switch to competence-based curriculum (CBC) in the current English language curriculum in the Tanzanian system of education invariably calls for an assessment of the Second Language teaching profession in the ‘post-method’ era.
Bongo Fleva Inapotosha Jamii: Je ni Dai Jipya katika Maendeleo ya Fasihi ya Kiswahili?
(Kioo cha Lugha No. 10 Vol. 10, TUKI: Dar es Salaam., 2012) Samwel, Method
Muziki wa Bongo Fleva umepitia kipindi kigumu cha kihistoria kwa kukataliwa na kuonekana kwa unapotosha jamii. Japo kwa sasa muziki huu unaoneana kukubalika, bado kuna baadhi ya watu wanauona kwamba unapotosha jamii. Miongoni mwa mambo yaliyoufanya muziki huu ukataliwe na kuhusishwa na upotoshaji wa jamii ni mavazi ya wasanii wake, maneno ya kihuni yanayotumika, tabia za wasanii, matumizi ya madawa ya kulevya, pombe na mengine ya aina hiyo. Makala haya yanapitia na kuangalia ikiwa dai kwamba kazi za fasihi hasa muziki wa Bongo Fleva unapotosha jamii ni jipya au la. Aidha, makala haya yanatoa mwelekeo mpya wa kufuatwa na wanajamii katika kuzihukumu kazi za fasihi za aina hiyo.
A Comparative Study of Headedness in Ruhaya Compounds
(Journal of Education, Humanities and Sciences, 2016) Ilonga, Emmanuel
This paper presents endocentric and exocentric compounds in Ruhaya, with specific focus on their lexical properties, position of headwords, semantic relation between headwords and modifiers, and the semantic classification of noun-noun compounds. It offers a comparison between Ruhaya and other Bantu languages on these aspects, and extends the comparison to Indo-European languages (English, Dutch and French). It was found that Ruhaya has left-headed compounds, and words from the same and different lexical categories can combine to make up compound words. In the case of headed compounds, there is a kind of semantic relations through which modifiers slightly change the meaning of headwords. With an exception of Northern Sotho, in which a prefix of the left-most word becomes the head, the left-most word in Ruhaya, Bemba and Kiswahili is the head. In comparison with Indo-European languages, French is left headed in this regard, while Dutch and English are right-headed.
Controversies Underlying the Genre of Short Story: A Critique of Perceptions on Kiswahili Written Short Story
(DUCE, 2013) Samwel, Method
The genre of short stories has been viewed by scholars as being very controversial and conflicting (e.g. Msokile 1992; Madumula 2009; Samwel 2012). The debates are on proper way of defining short stories, their classification with supporting examples, and their actual distinctive features. This paper, though acknowledges a need to analyze literature into genres and even sub-genres, shows how controversial a genre of short stories can be. It mainly focuses on controversies pertaining to short story as a genre of Kiswahili literature. It presents varied perceptions of various scholars on issues related to Kiswahili written short story. It also presents the “best” way of resolving the controversies.
The Definite Article in Swahili
(University of Dar es Salaam, 2017) Ndomba, Rodrick Gregory
This paper contributes to the debate on whether or not Swahili nominals have overt determiners to qualify for DP analysis. It has been concluded in some circles that Swahili nominals are not amenable to DP analysis for lacking determiners – definite articles. It is assumed in this paper that what appear to be articleless DPs in Swahili are underlyingly headed by the D node which always remains empty except in cases when D is occupied by the prenominal demonstratives base generated in a lower position inside the DP structure. The strongest evidence in Swahili comes from asymmetries between prenominal and postnominal demonstratives whereby the prenominal demonstratives are said to be anaphoric and postnominal demonstratives deictic. Assuming that the prenominal demonstrative is base generated below D, the conclusion must be that the demonstrative appears in the prenominal position following the raising.
Endocentric and exocentric compounds in Kiswahili
(SKASE Journal of Theoretical Linguistics, 2019) Lusekelo, Amani
The endocentric-exocentric dichotomy is the core of the discussion in this article. The discussion concerns the semantic classification of compounds in Kiswahili. The data substantiates the presence of the firm dichotomy of the endocentric and exocentric compounds. I establish that endocentric compounds split into left-headed, double-head and right-headed structures due to semantic contribution of the words which form the compounds. I suggest that exocentric compounds require special attention in that the head of the compound is projected from the semantic-pragmatic context in the speaker community. In the article, I show that Kiswahili compounds reveal grammaticalisation of the proto-item *-yánà ‘child’ to reflex mwana that means ‘Specialist of X’. Also, Kiswahili data reveals the lexicalization of the proto-item *-ényé from the ‘Possessive Pronoun’ to left-most element of a compound mwenye ‘Having X’. I argue that this is a kind of bahuvrihi compounding.
Historicity of personal names in Tanzania: the case of the names in the Rombo-Chagga community in Kilimanjaro
(International Journal of Modern Anthropology, 2020) Lusekelo, Amani
The history of African societies, which are mostly oral, could be deciphered through onomastics. This is possible because naming practices, which are elaborate, and personal names, which are meaningful, are cherished in African communities. In most cases, the circumstances at birth, which split into several strands, dictate the choice of the name by the name-givers. Naming practice is an elaborate phenomenon amongst the Rombo-Chagga people of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on two grounds. On the one hand, clan names are associated with Chagga calendar and socio-economic activities, e.g. Mkenda „born during unlucky days‟. On the other hand, home-names reveal circumstances at birth and historical events within the family and beyond, e.g. Ndekir‟yo„I am cured‟. In addition, amongst the Bantu speaking communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, naming practices have been influenced by Christianization, Islamicization and colonization. The personal names of the Rombo-Chagga people reveal the strands of religious (formal) names and foreign (English or Kiswahili) names, e.g. Barakaeli „God-bless‟.
Lexical borrowing in Africa with special attention to outcomes of languages in contacts in Tanzania
(Mgbakoigba, Journal of African Studies, 2018) Lusekelo, Amani
This article provides the impact of contact of Bantu and non-Bantu languages of Tanzania. Much attention is paid to the dispersal of Swahili words into Hadzabe, Iraqw and Maasai; and exemplary cases of Bantu-to-Bantu contacts have been included. Findings indicate that a layer of Swahili and English words exist in many languages of South-Western Tanzania such as Nyakyusa, Nyamwanga, Ndali, among others. Along the coast of Tanzania, influence of Swahili lexis is massive in such languages as Maraba. The Bantu to non-bantu contacts yielded numerous loans across Greebergian language phylums in Tanzania as evidenced in, for example, Swahili loans in Burunge and Hadzabe. Findings demonstrate distinct mechanisms of incorporation of loans. In Cushitic and Nilotic languages such as Hadzabe, Iraqw and Maasai, gender marking is the primary mechanism of adaptation of Bantu loans whilst Bantu languages assign noun classifications to the loanwords from English and non-Bantu languages.
LEXICAL VERBS EXPRESSING MODALITY IN BANTU LANGUAGES: THE CASE OF RUNYAMBO AND LUGURU
(Journal of West African Languages, 2020) Lusekelo, Amani
This paper provides novel documentation and description of the verbal modal system in Great Lakes Bantu languages. Runyambo (E21/JE21) is compared with Luguru (G35). The paper builds on Bostoen et al. (2012) and Kawalya et al. (2014, 2018) to revisit Runyambo data and add data from Luguru to reexamine findings in the Great Lakes Bantu Languages. This study is the first to discuss necessity modality in Rutara languages and the very first description of modality in Luguru. The study was conducted in Karagwe and Kyerwa Districts of Kagera Region and Morogoro Rural and Mvomero Districts in Morogoro Region. The field work that involved 10 informants included collection of written texts and in-depth dialogues and interviews for collecting oral texts. The study presents the modal baas- ‘be able’ as the only modal verb for expressing possibility in Runyambo language. Moreover, the modal baas- in Runyambo as opposed to dah- ‘be able/capable/permitted’ in Luguru, has both modal and lexical functions. We demonstrate further that the modal verb teekw- ‘must/ought to’ is used to express both weak and strong necessity in Runyambo. The modal teekw- modifies all verb types and it requires the auxiliary verb to either refer to the past or future. The modal verbs dah- ‘beble/capable/permitted’ and bamigw- ‘must/ought to’ in Luguru express possibility and necessity respectively. It is fascinating to identify that in both languages the modal verb for necessity requires both progressive formative and subjunctive form of the immediate verb. Lastly, we demonstrate that in the two languages the modal verbs interact with different tense and aspect formatives.
Linguistic and Social Outcomes of Interactions of Hadzabe and Sukuma in North-Western Tanzania
(Utafiti, 2020) Lusekelo, Amani
Social and linguistic contacts of the Hadzabe speaking people with the Sukuma people in Maswa District (now Meatu District) in northern Tanzania have been underreported in the existing literature, whereas the Hadzabe of eastern Tanzania have been researched in depth. Specialists have documented that in western Tanzania, the material culture of the Hadzabe differs significantly from what is found among their counterparts in the eastern region; so too the regional differences between their adaptations of kinship terms have been well documented. However, patterns of linguistic adaptation in the naming of plants and crops have yet to be analysed. Findings from Sungu Village in Meatu District reveal the significant influence of the Sukuma in the Hadzabe lexicon of plants and crops. It is understandable why the names of cultivated crops among the Hadzabe would demonstrate the Sukuma influence, since the Sukuma farmers introduced farming amongst the Hadzabe foragers. But it is unclear why the Hadzabe should have borrowed Sukuma names for wild plants as well, since the Hadzabe have depended upon their local biodiversity throughout their existence in the region, as has been documented for several decades now. We argue that despite their recency, communities which dominate through their sheer population density, such as the Sukuma, tend to influence the deeper lexicon of smaller communities like Hadzabe.
THE LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE OF URBAN TANZANIA: AN ACCOUNT OF THE LANGUAGE OF BILLBOARDS AND SHOP-SIGNS IN DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS
(JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE, TECHNOLOGY & ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AFRICA, 2018) Lusekelo, Amani
In examination of language use in public domains in Tanzania, this paper articulates the state of multilingualism in the composition of signposts in district headquarters countrywide. The paper challenges the suggestion that Tanzania is primarily a Kiswahili speaking country. It also challenges the suggestion that Tanzania consists of English as an official language with limited domains of use. While it is claimed that ethnic community languages are a vehicular of communication in domains related to informal settings and homesteads, the paper argues for the presence of in linguistic landscape. Findings from five regions of Tanzania, namely, Arusha, Iringa, Kagera, Manyara and Mbeya indicate the dominance of bilingual Kiswahili-English signposts in urban centres. Further, findings display dominance of English-only signposts, which is a good testimony that this public domain makes use of English rather than Kiswahili. Furthermore, on the basis of font-size and font-colour, English words turn more prominent than Kiswahili words. Nonetheless, on the basis of word counts, Kiswahili is significantly used in bilingual signposts than English. Thus, this article concludes that the importance of English surpasses Kiswahili in the language use in bilingual signposts in urban Tanzania.
The Linguistic Situation in Orkesumet, an Urban Area in Simanjiro District of Tanzania
(UJAH, 2019) Lusekelo, Amani
An investigation of the linguistic landscape in urban Africa is a welcome contribution to make in that multilingualism presents fascinating results. To satisfy this demand, the current paper investigates the patterns of language use in billboards in a small township of Orkesumet in northern Tanzania. Data demonstrates that the state of Kiswahili and English bilingualism is apparently open for religiously, privately and publicly owned institutions such as schools, churches, public offices, and accommodation facilities. Such bilingual billboards do not make use of hybrid language because there were no tokens of Kiswahili-English, Maasai-English and Kiswahili-Maasai recorded in the area. The main mechanism used to attract customers is through the selection of font-colour and font-size. The large font in black colour is preferred for names of firms, while red colour is opted for items sold and/or services rendered.
Motivation for Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language: Experiences from DUCE
(Journal of Education, Humanities and Sciences, 2018) Ilonga, Emmanuel
This study explores the motivation for learning Chinese language at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE). The major objective is to find out the reasons that motivated learners to enrol into the optional Chinese language course. The data used in the study was gathered through questionnaires and structured interviews. The presentation of findings reflected four types of motivation: intrinsic, extrinsic, integrative, and lastly, instrumental motivation. The results revealed that learners’ motivation for learning Chinese as a foreign language at the DUCE includes personal contentedness, developing base for further education abroad, integrating with the Chinese community and learning their culture, developing foundation for job opportunities in Chinese companies, and lastly, developing a base for personal businesses with the Chinese. Therefore, students are motivated by various reasons that cut across academic, social and economic reasons to learn foreign languages.
Muziki si Majigambo, Muziki ni Sanaa si Sawa na Sanaa ya Urembo”: Uhakiki wa Dhima za Majigambo katika Fasihi
(TUKI, 2013) Samwel, Method
Majigambo no moja ya vipangele maarufu katika nyimbo za muziki wa Bongo fleva au muziki wa kizazi kipya. Hata hivyo matumizi ya majigambo katika ushairi wa Bongo fleva yamekuwa yakikemewa na baadhi ya wasanii, wadau na hata hadhira ya ushairi wenyewe. Mmoja wa wasanii waliosimama kidete kupinga majigambo katika ushairi huu ni Selemani Msindi (phk Afande Sele) katika wimbo wake uitwao “Mayowe Part II”. Katika wimbo huo msanii huyo anadai kwamba ushairi wa Bongo Fleva, na muziki wenyewe kwa ujumla, haupaswi kuwa na majigambo bali unaaswa kutoa ujumbe mzito wenye manufaa kwa jamii. Afande Sele anadai kwamba si busara kujigamba juu ya mambo ambayo hujawahi kuyafanya huku kuna matatiizo mengi katika jamii kama vile njaa, UKIMWI, umiskini, uongozi mbaya na kadhhalika ambayo wasanii wangeweza kuyashughulikia katika nyimbo zao. Makala haya yanajaribu kutathmini ikiwa ni kweli majigambo si muhimu katika ushairi wa Bongo fleva. Halikadhalika, yanajadili dhima ya majigambo katika muziki huo.

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