The lemmatization of loan words in the isiNdebele-English isiHlathululi-imagama/Dictionary and their successful incorporation into the language

Abstract

Researchers in linguistic and lexicographic fields such as Nkondo (1987: 70) and Kam-wangamalu (1997: 89) assert that no language is lexically self-sufficient. According to Jafta (1987: 127), the reason for this is because no perfectly homogenous language group exist. There is no liv-ing language that can survive without supplementing its vocabulary through borrowing from another or other language(s). Thus Aitchison (2001: 249) is of the view that language gradually transforms itself and it cannot remain unaltered. On the other hand the so called 'purists' disap-prove of such alterations because they view these transformations as a process of language corrup-tion because they prefer coining which Mojela (2010: 702) termed indirect borrowing. This article proves and illustrates this notion as correct, especially in the case of African languages. The techni-cal terms and vocabulary in social interaction is based on adjacent South African languages such as English and Afrikaans, which as official languages have inevitably cross-pollinated each other. Researchers also agree that one way of enriching language is through borrowing. The aim of this article is to show that borrowing does not only enrich a language, but it also causes language dilu-tion especially in the case of languages that are less technologically advanced or do not yet function as official languages.

Navorsers op linguistiese en leksikografiese terreine soos Nkondo (1987: 70) en Kamwanga-malu (1997: 89) voer aan dat geen taal leksikaal selfgenoegsaam is nie. Volgens Jafta (1987: 127) is die rede hiervoor dat geen perfekte homogene taalgroep bestaan nie. Daar is geen lewende taal wat kan oorleef sonder om sy woordeskat aan te vul deur ontlening uit 'n ander taal of tale nie. Daarom huldig Aitchison (2001: 249) die siening dat taal geleidelik omvorm word en nie onveranderd kan bly nie. Aan die ander kant keur sogenaamde 'puriste' sulke veranderinge af omdat hulle hierdie transformasies as 'n proses van taalkorrupsie beskou aangesien hulle verkies om indirekte ontle-nings te vorm, soos wat Mojela (2010: 702) dit noem. Hierdie artikel bevestig en illustreer hierdie aanname as korrek, veral in die geval van Afrikatale. Die tegniese terme en woordeskat in sosiale interaksie is gebaseer op naasliggende Suid-Afrikaanse tale soos Engels en Afrikaans, wat mekaar as amptelike tale onafwendbaar kruisbestuif het. Navorsers is dit ook eens dat een manier om taal te verryk deur ontlening geskied. Die doel van die artikel is om aan te toon dat ontlening nie net 'n taal verryk nie, maar dat dit ook taalverarming verhaas veral in die geval van tale wat minder teg-nologies gevorderd of nog nie behoorlik as amptelike tale funksioneer nie.