Historical perspectives on the development of Sesotho linguistics with reference to syntactic categories

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2021
Authors
Nhlapo, Moselane Andrew
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract in other languages 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘚𝘦𝘚𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘴𝘪𝘡𝘶𝘭𝘶
Abstract
𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 Numerous scholars, including missionaries of various denominations of the past as well as other contemporary Sesotho linguists, have written on various aspects of the Sesotho language, especially in unpublished research theses and dissertations. However, there is no publication, which formerly traces the diachronic development of Sesotho linguistics, and in particular, the identification and classification of Sesotho syntactic categories within a particular linguistic developmental period. This research study traces the historical development of Sesotho syntactic categories. It also traces over time how various linguists have identified, described, and analyzed Sesotho syntactic categories, looking at the prominent characteristics of various linguistic periods, namely the pre-literacy period (1659-1800), historical-comparative period (1800-1826), missionary period (1826-1927), structural/functional period (1927-1975) and modern/Chomskyan period (1975 to date). It has been observed that during the pre-literary period, Sesotho was a spoken language and the transmission of information, history, and involvement within the Basotho was predominantly through the oral practice and performance rather thano n written texts. The Basotho people used oral traditions such as folklore, proverbs, riddles, songs, and stories to pass information from one generation to another. The missionaries introduced Sesotho orthography and Sesotho grammar where syntactic categories such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections were identified; where grammatical concepts such as case in Sesotho and its various types were also identified, the concept that was later disputed by Doke and Mofokeng. In the structural period, Doke, van Wyk, and Ziervogel identified more syntactic categories besides nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and conjunctions. They added copulatives, interjections, and relatives. The Chomskyan period broadly classified Sesotho syntactic categories; it provides a full description and analysis of sentences, phrases, and words. It identified five broad syntactic categories, namely i) sentences as parts of speech, ii) Phrases as grammatical categories, iii) Lexical categories as syntactic categories (this category consists of nouns, verbs, copulatives, deficient verbs, adverbs, adjectives, relatives, conjunctions, prepositions, quantifiers, and enumerative), iv) Inflectional categories (agreement of inflection, tense, mood, aspects, and negatives) and v) Empty categories such as pronouns, null subject, and the infinitive. Finally, this study presents an observation that the analysis of grammatical phenomena at different times in the history of African Languages, were patterned and classified according to European classical languages and prominent characteristics of a particular linguistic period, despite their unique grammatical structures, and that with the arrival of the modern linguistic approaches (Generative Transformational Grammar), which filtered through at a later stage in the historical development of African languages, recognized the uniqueness of syntactic categories of African Languages, bringing them back into their spaces of history and securing their lost identity. ___________________________________________________________________
𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 Talle geleerdes, insluitend sendelinge van verskeie denominasies van die verlede sowel as ander hedendaagse Sesotho-taalkundiges, het al oor verskeie aspekte van die Sesotho-taal geskryf, veral in ongepubliseerde navorsingstesisse en proefskrifte. Daar is egter geen publikasie wat die diachroniese ontwikkeling van die Sesotho-linguistiek naspeur nie, en veral nie die identifikasie en klassifikasie van Sesotho-sintaktiese kategorieë binne 'n bepaalde linguistiese ontwikkelingsperiode nie. Hierdie navorsingstudie volg die historiese ontwikkeling van Sesotho-sintaktiese kategorieë. Dit bestudeer ook hoe verskeie taalkundiges Sesotho-sintaktiese kategorieë oor tyd geïdentifiseer, beskryf en ontleed het, met die oog op die prominente kenmerke van verskeie linguistiese tydperke, naamlik die pre-geletterdheidsperiode (1659-1800), histories-vergelykende tydperk (1800-1826), sendingstydperk (1826-1927), strukturele/funksionele tydperk (1927-1975) en moderne/Chomskyaanse tydperk (1975 tot op datum). Daar is waargeneem dat Sesotho gedurende die pre-literêre tydperk 'n gesproke taal was en die oordrag van inligting, geskiedenis en betrokkenheid van die Basotho was hoofsaaklik deur die mondelinge praktyk en uitvoering eerder as deur geskrewe teks. Die Basotho-mense het mondelinge tradisies soos volksverhale, spreekwoorde, raaisels, liedjies en stories gebruik om inligting van een geslag na 'n ander oor te dra. Die sendelinge het Sesotho-ortografie en Sesotho-grammatika bekendgestel waar sintaktiese kategorieë soos selfstandige naamwoorde, voornaamwoorde, werkwoorde, bywoorde, byvoeglike naamwoorde, voegwoorde, voorsetsels, en tussenwerpsels geïdentifiseer is; waar grammatikale begrippe soos hoofletters in Sesotho en die verskillende reëls ook geïdentifiseer is – ’n konsep wat later deur Doke en Mofokeng betwis is. In die strukturele tydperk het Doke, Van Wyk en Ziervogel meer sintaktiese kategorieë naas selfstandige naamwoorde, voornaamwoorde, werkwoorde, bywoorde, byvoeglike naamwoorde en voegwoorde geïdentifiseer. Hulle het kopulatiewe, tussenwerpsels en familielede bygevoeg. Die Chomsky-tydperk het Sesotho-sintaktiese kategorieë breedweg geklassifiseer; dit verskaf 'n volledige beskrywing en ontleding van sinne, frases en woorde. Dit het vyf breë sintaktiese kategorieë geïdentifiseer, naamlik i) sinne as dele van spraak, ii) frases as grammatikale kategorieë, iii) leksikale kategorieë as sintaktiese kategorieë (hierdie kategorie bestaan uit selfstandige naamwoorde, werkwoorde, kopulatiewe, gebrekkige werkwoorde, bywoorde, byvoeglike naamwoorde, verwantskappe, voegwoorde, voorsetsels, kwantifiseerders, en enumeratief), iv) verbuigingskategorieë (ooreenkoms van verbuiging, tyd, stemming, aspekte en negatiewe) en v) leë kategorieë soos voornaamwoorde, nulsubjek en die infinitief. Laastens bied hierdie studie 'n waarneming dat die ontleding van grammatikale verskynsels op verskillende tye in die geskiedenis van Afrikatale gevorm en geklassifiseer is volgens Europese klassieke tale en prominente kenmerke van 'n bepaalde linguistiese tydperk, ten spyte van hul unieke grammatikale structure. Met die koms van die moderne linguistiese benaderings (Generative Transformational Grammar), wat op 'n later stadium in die historiese ontwikkeling van Afrikatale deurgesyfer het, is die uniekheid van sintaktiese kategorieë van Afrikatale erken, om terug te keer na hul geskiedenisruimte en hul verlore identiteit te hervestig. ___________________________________________________________________
𝑺𝒆𝑺𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒐 Baithuti ba bangata, ba kenyeletsang baruti ka dikereke tse fapaneng ba nakong ya kgale le baithuti ba nakong ya jwale ya dipolelo tsa Sesotho, ba ngotse ka dikarolo tse fapakaneng tsa sebopeho sa puo ya Sesotho, haholoholo dingolweng tsa diphuputso tse sa phatlalatswang. Leha e le hore ha ho dingolwa tse phatlaladitsweng, tse hlakisang diphuputso tsa sebopeho sa puo ya Sesotho, haholoholo tlhakiso le tlhophiso ya dipolelo tsa Sesotho ka dikarolo ho ipapisitswe le nako ya ntshetsopele ya sebopeho sa puo. E boetse e latellisa ka nako e itseng hore na mefuta ya baithuti ba puo na ba utlwisisitse, ba hlalositse, le ho sheba dibopeho tsa dipolelo tsa Sesotho, ba shebile dibopeho tse hlahellang tse fapakaneng ka dinako tse fapaneng tsa sebopeho sa puo e leng nako ya pele ho mongolo (1659-1800), nako ya nalane ya papiso (1800-1826), le nako ya baruti (1826-1927), esita le nako ya tshebediso (1927-1975), le nako ya jwale kapa nako ya Chomsky (1975 ho fihlela jwale). Ho bonahetse hore nakong ya pele ho mongolo, Sesotho se ne se buuwa mme ho fetisetsana melaetsa, nalane le ho kenella ha Basotho ho ne ho etswa haholoholo ka molomo le botshwantshisi eseng ka dingolwa. Basotho ba sebedisitse neanotaba jwalo ka ditshomo, maele, dilotho, dipina le dipale ho fetisa ditaba ho tloha molokong o mong ho ya ho o mong. Baruti ba qadile mongolo wa Sesotho ekasitana le sebopeho sa puo ya Sesotho moo dikarolo tsa polelo jwalo ka mantswe, maemedi, maetsi, makgethi, mahlalosi, makopanyi, mabopi le makgotsi di ileng tsa utlwisiswa, mme dikarolo tsa puo jwalo ka tsa puo ya Sesotho le dikarolo tse ding tsa puo ya Sesotho di ileng tsa utlwisiswa e leng se ileng sa hanwa ke Doke le Mofokeng ha morao. Nakong ya sebopehopuo, Doke, van Wyk, le Zievogel ba ile ba utlwisisa tse ngata tse bopang polelo ho fapana le mantswe, maemedi, maetsi, makgethi, mahlalosi le makopanyi. Ba ile ba kenyeletsa leetsi-leba, makgotsi le marui. Nako ya Chomsky ka ho pharalla e ka utlwisiswa e le nako ya kahopolelo ya Sesotho, mme ya hlaloswa ka ho phethahala le ho qhaqholla polelo, sekapolelo le mantswe. Ke nako ya ho utlwisisa polelo ka makala a mahlano a pharalletseng e leng: (i)polelo e le karolo ya dikarolo tsa puo ya Sesotho, (ii)dikarolwana tsa sebopeho sa puo, (iii) maetsinyana, (ii) di ka maetsi, (iv) hlooho boiketsi (tumellano ya boiketsi, nako, mokgwa, dikarolwana le tatolo), (v) tse se nang mabitso jwaloka maemedi, mahlalosi le tse haellwang di haellwa. Qetellong, boithuto bona bo beha seo e se bonang e le hore boqhaqholli ba sebopehopuo dinakong tse fapakaneng nalaneng ya dipuo tsa Maafrika, di fuwe le sebopeho le ho hlophollwa ho ya ka dipuo tsa Mayuropa le ho fuwa ditshobotsi tse totobetseng tsa nako eo, ho sa tsotellwe sebopeho sa tsona se ikgethang, le ho fihla ha mekgwa e metjha ya ho hlahloba sebopeho sa puo tse hlahisitsweng hamorao ntshetsopeleng ya nalane ya dipuo tsa Maafrika, e hlokomela sebopeho se ikgethang sa dikarolo tsa dipolelo tsa dipuo tsa Maafrika, e di kgutlisetsa morao ho nalane le tshireletso ya boitsebo bo lahlehileng. ___________________________________________________________________
𝑰𝒔𝒊𝒁𝒖𝒍𝒖 Izazi eziningi, okuhlanganisa izithunywa zevangeli zamahlelo ehlukene ezikhathi ezedlule kanye nabanye ongoti bezilimi zesiSuthu besimanje, babhale ngezinto ezihlukahlukene zolimi lwesiSuthu, ikakhulukazi emibhalweni yocwaningo engashicilelwe. Kodwa-ke, akukho okushicilelwe, phambilini okulandelela ukukhula kolimi lwesiSuthu, ikakhulukazi, ukuhlonza nokuhlukaniswa kwezigaba zohlelo lwesiSuthu esikhathini esithile sokuthuthuka kolimi. Lolu cwaningo lulandelela ukuthuthuka komlando kwezigaba zesintekthiki yesiSuthu. Luphinde futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lulandele ukuthi izazi ezahlukene zezilimi ziye zahlonza, zachaza, futhi zahlaziya kanjani izigaba zesintekthiki yesiSuthu, zibheka izici ezivelele zezikhathi zolimi ezihlukahlukene, okuyinkathi yangaphambi kokufunda nokubhala (1659–1800), inkathi yokuqhathanisa umlando (1800–1826), inkathi yezithunywa zevangeli (1826–1927), inkathi yesakhiwo/yokusebenza (1927–1975) kanye nenkathi yesimanje/ yamaChomskyan (1975 kuze kube imanje). Kuye kwaqashelwa ukuthi ngesikhathi sangaphambi kokufunda nokubhala, isiSuthu bekuwulimi olukhulunywayo futhi ukudluliswa kolwazi, umlando, kanye nokubandakanyeka phakathi kwabeSuthu kwakuvame kakhulu ngokukhuluma ngomlomo nangokwenza okuthile esikhundleni sokuthi kube ngemibhalo. AbeSuthu babesebenzisa ubuciko bomlomo obunjengezinganekwane, izaga, iziphicaphicwano, amaculo, nezindaba ukuze badlulisele ulwazi ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane. Izithunywa zevangeli zethula ukubhalwa kolimi lwesiSuthu kanye nohlelo lolimi lwesiSuthu lapho kwahlonzwa khona izigaba zesintekthiki ezifana namabizo, izabizwana, izenzo, izandiso, izichasiso, izihlanganiso, izandiso, nezinqamuleli; lapho kwabuye kwahlonzwa khona amagama ngengegama ‘icala’ esiSuthwini kanye nezinhlobo ezahlukene zalo, igama elabuye laphikiswa kamuva liphikiswa nguDoke noMofokeng. Esikhathini sokuhlela, u-Doke, u-Van Wyk, kanye no-Ziervogel bahlonza ezinye izigaba zesintekthiki ngaphandle kwamabizo, izabizwana, izenzo, izandiso, izichasiso, nezihlanganiso. Banezela amakhophulethivu, ama-inthajekshini, nezihlobo. Isikhathi samaChomskyan sahlukanisa ngokubanzi izigaba zesintekthiki yesiSuthu; sinikeza incazelo egcwele kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemisho, imishwana, namagama. Ihlonze izigaba ezinhlanu ezibanzi zesintekthiki, okungukuthi i) imisho njengezingcezu zenkulumo, ii) Imisho njengezigaba zohlelo lolimi, iii) Izigaba zamagama njengezigaba zesintekthiki (lesi sigaba sakhiwe ngamabizo, izenzo, izihlanganisi, izenzo, izandiso, izichasiso, izihlobo, izihlanganiso, izandiso, izilinganiso, kanye nokubala), iv) Izigaba zokuguquguquka (isivumelwano sokuguquguquka kwezwi, inkathi, isimo sengqondo, izingxenye, amagama aphikisayo) kanye v) nezigaba ezingenalutho njengezabizwana, ukungabibikho kwenhloko, isenzo. Okokugcina, lolu cwaningo luveza umbono wokuthi ukuhlaziya uhlelo lolimi ngezikhathi ezehlukene emlandweni wezilimi zase-Afrikha, zenziwa futhi zahlukaniswa ngokwezilimi zasendulo zaseYurophu kanye nezici ezivelele zenkathi ethile yolimi, naphezu kwezakhiwo zazo ezihlukile zohlelo, nokuthi ukufika kwezindlela zesimanje zezilimi (i-Generative Transformational Grammar), ezahlunga ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ekuthuthukisweni komlando wezilimi zase-Afrikha, zabona ukwehluka kwezigaba zesintekthiki yezilimi zase-Afrikha, zizibuyisela ezindaweni zazo zomlando kanye nokuvikela ukulahleka kwazo. ___________________________________________________________________
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.(African Languages))--University of the Free State, 2021
Keywords
Sesotho language, Sesotho linguists, Diachronic development -- Sesotho linguistics
Citation