Ukuphuhliselwa ezobuNgcali kweeLwimi zaseAfrika: isiXhosa njengolwimi lokuphanda

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Intellectualisation of African languages: isiXhosa as a research language

The interest of researchers in African languages is inclined towards the intellectualisation of African languages. Research reveals African languages’ capacity to be used as languages for teaching and learning in higher education. Although there is research on the intellectualisation of African languages, there is a paucity of research on intellectualising these languages as research languages, especially isiXhosa. This article collated and evaluated research terminology used in Master’s and Doctoral research reports written in isiXhosa. Several researchers who wrote their reports in isiXhosa are linguists, making it easy to coin research terms. Nevertheless, the absence of standardised isiXhosa research terminology limits researchers in other scientific fields in writing in isiXhosa. To analyse data, the article used terminology development as a conceptual framework, which is based on Wüster’s terminology theory. Terminology development refers to the process of extending language terminology to new domains. This article used a systematic literature review as a research design, reviewing Master’s and Doctoral research reports. The results reveal that researchers differ on the research terms they use, showing the need for a standardised isiXhosa research terminology. This article adds to the intellectualisation debate by proposing that isiXhosa research terminology that can be standardised. Similarly, it speeds up and strengthens the project of decolonising higher education.

Kutsha nje, umdla wabaphandilwazi ngeelwimi zaseAfrika utyekele nasekuphuhliselweni ezobungcali kweelwimi zaseAfrika. Uphandolwazi lwezi ngcali ludandalazisa ukuba iilwimi zaseAfrika zikulungele ukusetyenziswa njengeelwimi zokufunda nokufundisa kumaziko emfundo ephakamileyo. Nakubeni kukho uphandolwazi olusele lwenziwe ngokuphuhliselwa ezobungcali kweelwimi zaseAfrika, lunqongophele uphandolwazi olugxile ekuphuhliselweni kwezi lwimi zibe zilwimi zokuphanda, ngokungakumbi isiXhosa. Eli nqaku liqokelele laza lehla amahlongwane isigama sokuphanda esisetyenzisiweyo kwiingxelo zophandolwazi ezibhalwe ngesiXhosa kwizifundo zobuNgqawalwazi (Master’s) nezobuGqirhalwazi, ngeenjongo zokuphuhlisa isigama sokuphanda sesiXhosa. Uninzi lwabaphandi abasele bebhale iingxelo zophandolwazi ngesiXhosa ziingcali zolwimi, nto leyo eyenze kwaba lula ukuziqambela isigama sokuphanda. Noxa kunjalo, ukungabikho kwesigama sokuphanda ngesiXhosa esimiselweyo kuthintela abaphandi abaphuma kweminye imihlaba yemfundo ekubhaleni ingxelo yophandolwazi ngesiXhosa. Ukuhlalutya ulwazi, eli nqaku lingqiyame ngeengcingane zokuphuhlisa isigama, nezisekelwe kwisithako sesigama sikaWüster. Ukuphuhlisa isigama kubhekisele kwinkqubo yokwandisela isigama solwimi kumathambeka amatsha. Ithambeka eligxeleshwe leli nqaku lelo lokuphanda ngesiXhosa. Eli nqaku lisebenzise uphengululo loncwadi olucwangcisiweyo njengoyilo lophandolwazi, apho liphengulule iingxelo zophandolwazi lobuNgqawalwazi nelobuGqirhalwazi. Liye lafumanisa ukuba iingcali ziyabethabethana kwisigama sesiXhosa esisetyenziswa kuphando, nto leyo ebonisa intswelo yesigama sokuphanda sesiXhosa esimiselweyo. Igalelo leli nqaku kukuthelela kwilinge lokuphuhliselwa ezobungcali kweelwimi zaseAfrika ngokundulula isigama sokuphanda sesiXhosa esingathi simiselwe kamva. Kananjalo, kukukhawulezisa nokomeleza iphulo lokuhlambulula ubukoloniyali kwimfundo ephakamileyo.