DOI: 10.5176/2251-3566_L319.390
Authors: Dr. Mabolaeng Thato Monyakane
Abstract: There seems to be introduction of new names and other nominal lexical items with regard to Sesotho language in the advent of the telephone cum cell phone and its variations such as ipad and tablet. For example people talk of tswibila literally translated ‘something that can be thrown afar’ when Basotho refer to ‘a twitter message’. Furthermore there is a promotion of already existing nominal items found in traditional telecommunications. For example mohala (phone call) is no longer only used for traditional landline but applies to cell phone as well. The present research wants to find the extent at which telecommunications nominal terms are abound in Sesotho. The study will use structuralism to ascertain the nominalness of the terms. The paper seeks to argue that language is arbitrary. There is no relationship between the word and the object it represents. The society chooses to conventionalise the word in their language through its repeated usage to the same object. This is the case with Basotho. The study will further add stratificational theory to show that language sounds have combined to form a meaningful word or a sentence in language.
Keywords: nominal lexical items, stratification theory, conventional, technology, traditional telecommunications.
Updating...