Ku susa vukoloni eka nhlamuselo ya rito ‘nsati’ na ‘nuna’ eka Xitsonga – dyondzo ya nsusavukoloni Decolonising the meaning of ‘nsati’ and ‘nuna’ in the Tsonga context – a decolonial study

Abstract

Xikoloni xi swi kotile ku hundzuluxa vutomi bya Maafrika hi tindlela to tala, hikwalaho hi lo sala ntsena na ndzhuti eka Vuafrika bya hina. Ntiyiso hileswaku vutomi bya Maafrika a byi salangi bya ha ri leswi a byi ri xiswona endzhaku ka ku fika ka xikoloni. Hikokwalaho ko lava ku tsakisa no amukeriwa hi lavo basa, nkucetelo lowu veke kona ehenhla ka tindzimi ta Xintima wu onhile tinhlamuseloxidzi ta marito mo tala kufikela namuntlha. Xikombiso, namuntlha hi lahlekeriwa hi nhlamuselo ya ntiyiso ya rito ‘nsati/nuna’, leri hi ku ya hi mavulavulele ya namuntlha ri nga tekeriwa xindzhuti hi ku va ri fananisiwa kumbe ku ringanisiwa ni marito yo fana na muhlekisani, munghana, masihlalisane, sw. Sw. A hi rili ntsena hi nhlamuselo ya rito leri, kambe na xona xindzhuti xa ‘vusati’ bya xiviri xi va xi tekeriwe ehansi no vavisiwa. Ku onhaka ka nhlamuselo ya ‘nsati/nuna’ namuntlha eka tinxaka tin’wana ta Maafrika ti hoxekile naswona ti kanganyisa hi tindlela to hlayanyana. Xikombiso, ti tekela ehansi ntiyiso wa leswi nsati/nuna a nga swona.

The colonial agenda succeeded in changing African life in many ways, hence we are left with a diluted kind of Africanism. The truth is that African life never remained the same after colonisation. The Western influence on African languages also played its role in changing the correct meaning of a wife and husband. For instance, concubines, partners, boy- or girlfriends, etc., are often confused with wife or husband. The distorted meaning of ‘wife/husband’ today for some African tribes is problematic in many ways. For instance, it undermines the status of what a real wife or husband is.