The Effects Of Shona Language Change On Monolingual Lexicography:The Need For A Revised Alphabet.

Abstract

In this paper the writer discuses the phenomenon of Shona language change, its effects on lexicography and the need for a revised alphabet. Lexicographers at African Languages Research Institute (ALRI) encounter problems in handling some words that are potential headwords in dictionaries which they are working on, under the ALLEX project because of the defective Shona alphabet. The current Shona alphabet does not recognize quite a number of sounds, morphemes and lexical items that are in everyday use by the native Shona speakers because of alien sounds that make up these words. The paper was inspired by the challenges that the writer encounters during the compilation of Duramazwi reMimhanzi (Shona Musical Terms Dictionary) of which he is one of the Editors. This paper unveils how language change accounts for the problem of headword selection and how modifying the current alphabet can enhance monolingual Shona lexicography work vis-à-vis the development of the Shona language. This paper therefore shows the urgent need for a revised alphabet so as to easy orthography problems during dictionary making.

Muchinyorwa chino munyori anotarisa kushanduka kuri kuita mutauro weChiShona nokufamba kuri kuita nguva uye maonerwo anoitwa shanduko yacho takatarisana nokugadzirwa kwamaduramazwi ari mururimi rweChiShona chete. Nyanzvi dzinogadzira maduramazwi paAfrican Languages Research Institute (ALRI) dzinosangana namadambudziko esarudzo yamazwi pavanenge vachisarudza mazwi avanenge vachida kuisa mumaduramazwi avanogadzira pachirongwa chokugadzira maduramazwi chinonzi ALLEX. Dambudziko resarudzo yamazwi rinowanikwa nokuda kechimiro chebumbiro remanyorerwo eChiShona risingatenderi mamwe mavara ari mune imwe mitauro asiri muChiShona. Bumbiro iri parizvino haritenderi mamwe mavara, mibatanidzwa yamavara namamwe mazwi anowanikwa mumutauro wezuva nezuva waVaShona nokuda kwamamwe mavara anowanikwa asiri mubumbiro reShona. Chinyorwa chino chakatokonywa namadambudziko anosanganiwa nawo nomunyori webepa rino paanenenge achigadzira Duramazwi reMimhanzi, iro ari mumwe wevapepeti. Chinyorwa chino chakanangana nokuburitsa kushanduka kuri kuita ChiShona, uye madambudziko anosanganwa nawo pakusarudza mazwi anopinda muduramazwi uye kuonesa zvakare kuti kugadzirisa bumbiro ramanyorerwo kunogona kurerutsa basa ravagadziri vamaduramazwi. Izvi zvinoita zvakare kuti mutauro weChiShona uvandutswe. Pamusoro pezvose izvi, chinyorwa chino chinoda kutaridza kuti sei zvakakosha kuita chimbi chimbi kugadzirisa chimiro chebumbiro ramanyorerwe pakuzama kurerusa madambudziko anosanganwa nawo navagadziri vamaduramazwi eChiShona.