Zimbolicious' - The Creative Potential of Linguistic Innovation
The Case of Shona-English in Zimbabwe
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3176004 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Flora Veit-Wild, Flora Veit–wild (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 683-697 |
| Publication date | 2009-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Southern African Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0305-7070 • E-ISSN: 1465-3893 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03057070903101896 |
| OpenAlex | W2074353686 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 18 |
Code-switching and the emergence of new hybrid languages are common in contemporary urban culture in Africa. While the linguistic and sociological aspects of switching between Shona and English in Zimbabwe has been widely analysed, this article proposes that the new linguistic usages entail highly creative and at times subversive potential and energy. The widespread use of new media such as the internet not only strongly enhances the blending of languages and the creation of new idioms but also establishes international ties within a language community. A close reading of the lyrics and the style of musical hits will demonstrate how bilingualism serves the agents of popular culture to create a local artistic flavour within a global setting. Compared with the prolific use of code-switching and slang in the lyrics of songs, the domain of Shona literature shows a greater reluctance to experiment with language. However, the examples of A.C. Moyo's play Pane Nyaya and of Ignatius Mabasa's novel Mapenzi illustrate the linguistic resourcefulness of two prominent literary innovators
Art · Code-switching · Linguistics · Literature · Lyrics · Shona · Slang · Sociology · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy
Zimbabwe's Migrants and South Africa's Border Farms
Hearing Voices
Harare, Haarari —S/He Does Not Sleep”
Contemporary Zimbabwean popular music in the context of adversities
Linguistic strategies used by the Ministry of Health and Childcare in Zimbabwe to sensitise citizens on Covid-19
Language Use in Postcolonial Zimbabwean Alternative Theatre Performance
He has committed a drinkable offence
A divided nation? Ethnicity, name-calling and nicknames in cyber Ndebele soccer discourse in Zimbabwe
Code-switching, language mixing and fused lects
Code-switching in Zimbabwean urban grooves music
The aesthetics of Winky D's Zimbabwe urban grooves music and an overview of his social commentary on the post-2000 experiences in Harare and other urban centres
Chibende
Between Globalisation And Localisation
Social commentary, subaltern voices and the alternative medium of Zimdancehall music
Language Syncretism and the Expression of Youth Identities in Zimbabwe Urban Grooves Music
Linguistic innovations in a multilingual digital advertising context in Tanzania
The Blair that I know is a toilet
Perspectives of Zimbabwe-China relations in Wallace Chirumiko's 'Made in China' (2012) and NoViolet Bulawayo'sWe Need New Names(2013)
| Unique citing works | 18 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,2 |
| Citation span | 2011 - 2025 (15) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 15 |