The rephonologisation of Shona loanwords from English: an optimality theory analysis

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Date
2012
Authors
Kadenge, Maxwell
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: In their quest to respond to scientific and educational demands, speakers of Shona, a Southern Bantu language spoken in Zimbabwe, have expanded its lexical stock by borrowing mainly from the English language. The two languages have different phonologies, the phonology of English being much more complex than that of Shona. This article examines some aspects of the phonology of Shona loanwords from English, focusing specifically on how they are constrained by the Bantu CV syllable structure underlying the receptor language. The focus is on vowel and glide epenthesis which are employed to repair “illegal” complex onsets, syllable codas and diphthongs.
Afrikaans: In hul poging om tred te hou met wetenskaplike en opvoedkundige vereistes het sprekers van Shona, ’n Suidelike Bantoetaal wat in Zimbabwe gepraat word, die taal se leksikon uitgebrei deur hoofsaaklik woorde uit Engels te ontleen. Die twee tale beskik oor verskillende fonologiese sisteme, waar die fonologie van Engels aansienlik meer kompleks is as dié van Shona. Hierdie artikel ondersoek bepaalde aspekte van die fonologie van Shona-leenwoorde uit Engels, en fokus spesifiek op hoe hulle ingeperk word deur die CV sillabestruktuur van die Bantoetale wat onderliggend aan die ontvangertaal is. Daar word gefokus op vokaal- en glyerinvoeging, wat ingespan word om “onwettige” komplekse aansette, kodas en diftonge te herstel.
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Keywords
Shona, Language, English
Citation
Kadenge, M. (2012). The rephonologisation of Shona loanwords from English: an optimality theory analysis. Acta Academica, 44(1), 56-84.