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 Kamwangamalu (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 living 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' disapprove of such alterations because they view these transformations as a process of language corruption 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 technical 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 dilution especially in the case of languages that are less technologically advanced or do not yet function as official languages.

Keywords: Borrowing, corpus, dictionary compilation, lemmatization, lexicographer, lexicography, isiNdebele words, loan words, bilingual dictionary

Lemmatisering van leenwoorde in die isiNdebele–English isiHlathululi-imagama/Dictionary en die suksesvolle opname daarvan in die taal

Navorsers op linguistiese en leksikografiese terreine soos Nkondo (1987: 70) en Kamwangamalu (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 ontlenings 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 tegnologies gevorderd of nog nie behoorlik as amptelike tale funksioneer nie.

Sleutelwoorde: Ontlening, korpus, woordeboeksamestelling, lemmavorming, leksikograaf, leksikografie, isiNdebele woorde, leenwoorde, tweetalige woordeboek