Effects of Language Spread on a People’ Phenomenology: The Case of Sheng’ in Kenya

Abstract

Sheng’, an evolving Kenyan language has been blamed for a myriad of things by parents and teachers in the local communities.  Among these are: Loss of paternity and patrimony, these being the identity and connection to any particular roots among the youth, especially the urbanite youth. This Kiswahili-based pidgin-like language is blamed for having negatively impacted its speakers’ affinity to their past, the feeling of their continuity and their ethnic legacy as passed on from one generation to another. There is evidence too, that speakers of Sheng’, especially those of the second generation, meaning those whose parents also speak it, have developed monostylism thus reducing the number of stylistic variants in their linguistic repertoire. Sheng’ has also been blamed for its speaker’s poor learning and mastery of other languages. But, can it be wished away?

In this paper, I will first discuss the distribution and spread of Sheng’ in Kenya, and secondly, I will show the effects of Sheng’ on its speakers’ phenomenology, patrimony and paternity. I will conclude by suggesting ways in which language spread can be a useful element to society and by showing how Sheng’ can co-exist with tens of other languages spoken in Kenya, without negatively impacting on its speakers.

Key words: sheng, phenomenology, patrimony, Kiswahili, Kenya