Contact-induced language alternation in Tanzanian Ngoni – an empirical study of frequency and patterns

ABSTRACT

The codeswitching pattern is different in rural Tanzania compared to urban agglomerations around the world. Even in very rural areas people in Tanzania are bilingual in Swahili, the national and local lingua franca, and their own first language. The result of this language contact is understudied and has only recently been focused on. This paper presents quantitative and qualitative results of a study of the language Ngoni in contact with Swahili. The study is based on photo elicitations about traditional artefacts and their use in one semi-urban and one remote rural village in Songea District, Ruvuma Region. Codeswitching is the unmarked choice among the Ngoni subsistence farmers in the area, even for old persons living in remote villages. The quantitative results are summed in relation to socio-demographic factors. Additionally, possible social and psycholinguistic factors, such as triggering, are discussed. The results give reason to concern regarding the future of Ngoni.

KEYWORDS:

• Codeswitching
• elicitations
• Ngoni
• quantitative
• Swahili
• Tanzania
• unmarked choice

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the consultants in Peramiho and Mgazini villages who generously devoted their time. We would also like to thank Edna Mapunda and Berco Komba who assisted us on a daily basis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Myers-Scotton calls for empirical testing of this claim.

2. According to the Matrix Language Frame model, single lexemes from the EL always show ML morphosyntax, while EL parts in EL islands conform to EL morphosyntax.

3. Most informants in this age category were much older – the median age was 65 years.

Additional information

Funding

We are thankful to COSTECH, Sida and Wotro, who financed the study through a TASENE postdoctoral grant.