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 PATTERNSenaganwa: Maadingwa ge a bapetšwa le Mantšu a Setlogo go Sesotho saLeboa — Kgopolo ya Bangwalapukuntšu. Maikemišetšo a taodišwana ye ke gonyakišiša, go ya ka kgopolo ya bangwalapukuntšu, ka fao baboledi ba Sesotho sa Leboa ba diragokgetho ya mantšu magareng ga maadingwa le mantšu a setlogo polelong ye. Dipoelo tše dihweditšwego go tšwa 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 ipontšha gore le ge dipoelo tša nyakišišo ye di laetša gorebontši bja bakgathatema bo kgetha go šomiša mantšu a setlogo go ena le maadingwa, bangwadi ba dipukuntšu ba swanetše go phafošwa mabapi le diphetogo tše di ka bago gona pateroneng yakgetho ya tšhomišo ya mantšu. Dipoelo tša nyakišišo ye di bapetšwa le ka moo mantšu a tšwelelagokgafetšakgafetša go tšwa khophaseng gammogo le ka fao dipukuntšu tše di šetšego di le gonadi šomišitšego mantšu ao ka gona.Mantšu a bohlokwa: GO HLAMA PUKUNTŠU, PUKUNTŠU, TSELA YA GO NGWALAMANTŠU KA PUKUNTŠUNG, SESOTHO SA LEBOA (SEPEDI), LEADINGWA, LENTŠU LE LESOTHOFADITŠWEGO, LENTŠU LA SETLOGO, LENANEOPOTŠIŠO, KHOPHASE, GOHLALOŠA POLELO, GO HLALOŠA POLELO KA GO FA KGETHO, GO LAELA KA GATŠHOMIŠO YA POLELO, PATERONE YA KGETHO YA MANTŠU