Loan Words versus Indigenous Words in Northern Sotho — A Lexicographic Perspective

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of this article is to investigate, from a lexicographic perspective, the preferences of Northern Sotho mother-tongue speakers for loan words versus so-called 'traditional' or 'original' counterparts in the language. Results obtained from a survey conducted among 100 randomly selected mother-tongue speakers from different age and gender groups, backgrounds, places of residence, etc. will be analysed. It is shown that although the overwhelming preference of the respondents lies with the use of (more) indigenous words in comparison to loan words, lexicographers should be alerted to possible, even rapid, changes in this preference pattern. The results from the survey are compared throughout with frequency counts derived from a corpus as well as with current dictionary treatment. Keywords: LEXICOGRAPHY, DICTIONARY, LEMMATISATION, NORTHERN SOTHO (SEPEDI), LOAN WORD, SOTHOISED WORD, INDIGENOUS WORD, QUESTIONNAIRE, CORPUS, DESCRIPTIVENESS, PROSCRIPTIVENESS, PRESCRIPTIVENESS, PREFERENCE PATTERN Senaganwa: Maadingwa ge a bapetÅ¡wa le MantÅ¡u a Setlogo go Sesotho saLeboa — Kgopolo ya BangwalapukuntÅ¡u. MaikemiÅ¡etÅ¡o a taodiÅ¡wana ye ke gonyakiÅ¡iÅ¡a, go ya ka kgopolo ya bangwalapukuntÅ¡u, ka fao baboledi ba Sesotho sa Leboa ba diragokgetho ya mantÅ¡u magareng ga maadingwa le mantÅ¡u a setlogo polelong ye. Dipoelo tÅ¡e dihweditÅ¡wego go tÅ¡wa go bakgathatema ba e lego baboledi ba Sesotho sa Leboa, banna le basadi, balekgolo (100) ba mengwaga ya go fapana, maemo a a fapanego a thuto, ba ba dulago mafelong ao afapafapanego, bj.bj. di tla fetlekwa. Go ipontÅ¡ha gore le ge dipoelo tÅ¡a nyakiÅ¡iÅ¡o ye di laetÅ¡a gorebontÅ¡i bja bakgathatema bo kgetha go Å¡omiÅ¡a mantÅ¡u a setlogo go ena le maadingwa, bangwadi ba dipukuntÅ¡u ba swanetÅ¡e go phafoÅ¡wa mabapi le diphetogo tÅ¡e di ka bago gona pateroneng yakgetho ya tÅ¡homiÅ¡o ya mantÅ¡u. Dipoelo tÅ¡a nyakiÅ¡iÅ¡o ye di bapetÅ¡wa le ka moo mantÅ¡u a tÅ¡welelagokgafetÅ¡akgafetÅ¡a go tÅ¡wa khophaseng gammogo le ka fao dipukuntÅ¡u tÅ¡e di Å¡etÅ¡ego di le gonadi Å¡omiÅ¡itÅ¡ego mantÅ¡u ao ka gona. MantÅ¡u a bohlokwa: GO HLAMA PUKUNTÅ U, PUKUNTÅ U, TSELA YA GO NGWALAMANTÅ U KA PUKUNTÅ UNG, SESOTHO SA LEBOA (SEPEDI), LEADINGWA, LENTÅ U LE LESOTHOFADITÅ WEGO, LENTÅ U LA SETLOGO, LENANEOPOTÅ IÅ O, KHOPHASE, GOHLALOÅ A POLELO, GO HLALOÅ A POLELO KA GO FA KGETHO, GO LAELA KA GATÅ HOMIÅ O YA POLELO, PATERONE YA KGETHO YA MANTÅ U