Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2014 / Refer to the document

Thesis (M.ED.) --University of Limpopo, 2008 / The research covers the way the Vhavenḓa people bury their dead. Although the emphasis is on Tshivenḓa burials, the study has also examined the way burials are undertaken in other cultures such as Xhosa, Sotho, Indians, Xitsonga, Hindu, Greek and Muslim culture. The study shows that burials in Tshivenḓa are characterized by peculiar features. For instance the way the royal people are buried is different from the way the ordinary people are laid to rest. In addition, there are also special rituals that must be performed when children, women and men are buried. The study also includes to the fact that mordernity, has an impact on the manner in which the Vhavenḓa conduct their burials. In the past burials where cheap to conduct whereas these days they are relatively expensive. Lastly, the study has discovered that both old and modern forms of burials have advantages and disadvantages. It is, therefore, crucial for people to utilize the advantages of both the afore mentioned types of burial.

The Vhavenḓa are a conservative society and although they admire and follow other people’s cultures, they do not do this at the expense of their own traditions. Most Vhavenḓa are found in the far north of South Africa. The second largest group of Vhavenḓa is found in Gauteng Province. Vhavenḓa first met with the Europeans in the 19th century. The greatest influence on Tshivenḓa culture was brought about by the missionaries, who came with the aim of colonizing Africa and discouraging Africans from following their own culture and traditions, which the missionaries regarded as paganism. They forced Africans to change their African personal names and replace them with European ones, especially if they wanted to attend mission schools or when they sought employment. Traditionally, Tshivenḓa personal names were chosen by the male grandparent or another senior male person, or the role was played by the father of the child. The mother of the child did not have any say in the selection or bestowal of a personal name (Herbert, 1986; Moyo, 1996; Nkumane, 1999; Ndimande, 1998). Whenever Africans choose a personal name, it bears a particular meaning or it is the name of a deceased member of the family (Raper, 1983; Stayt, 1931; Thipa, 1986; Yanga, 1978). They do this in order to pacify the deceased. Africans believe that there are always connections between the living and the dead and that the dead have great influence on the lives of the living. Vhavenḓa practice teknonymy. The parents and the grandparents are addressed by the personal names of their children and grandchildren respectively. The name that is commonly used in this instance is the name of the firstborn. It happens that at times the personal names of the parents and grandparents are never used: some members of the community might never know these people by their real names (Arensen, 1988; Thipa, 1987). African personal names should all have meanings. They are used as a short history of the family or the community. Whenever personal names are used in communication, friction between people is minimized. Morphologically, Tshivenḓa personal names are derived from various Tshivenḓa word categories. They are formed using different morphemes that are available in the language. These morphemes assign meaning to the personal name. / African languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African languages)

MAAS / M. E. R. Mathivha Centre for Languages, Arts and Culture

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts, department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2013. / This contribution considers the role of a father’s senior sister (makhadzi) in traditional leadership among the Venda speaking people in the present South Africa. It also considers their place in the new democratic South Africa against the backdrop that the legislations enacted to give effect to traditional leadership did not recognise them explicitly. While reviewing gender based propositions the study demonstrates that even though in most African societies, women are insubordinate to men there exists a special class of women who play critical role in the public sphere and whom the society highly regards. In the case of Venda people these are the makhadzi. It used a qualitative approach to study the role of makhadzi and how people act towards them despite that they are explicitly recognised in the legislations because as an anthropological study, it examines human behaviour with a view to understanding society. Based on primary data collected using participant observation and interviews, the role of makhadzi in society was unearthed. The study found that among the Venda the makhadzi has different roles which are important in traditional leadership and that such women can be traced in other societies in Africa. It establishes that among others, the makhadzi play critical roles in succession, resolution of disputes, regency, initiation of girls and spiritual roles. While some of the cultural practises are repugnant to the notion of justice and morality and would be of dubious legality given the constitution essentialisation of human rights and dignity, the study has shown that the makhadzi has a place and role in the new democratic society.

M.A. / Today's adolescents are more sexurally active than those of previous generations, hence the high incident of early childbearing in most societies worldwide. In South Africa the problem seems to be widespread as it occurs among all cultural and ethnic groups, in rural, as well as in the urban arears, with teenage births constituiting 12% of the country's births. Among lower socio-economic groups, teenage childbearing in South Africa has been precipitated by years of disrupted schooling which has not only affected education, but sexual behaviour as well. In rural Venda, adolescent childbearing could be symtomatic of a breakdown of social order. Sex education has always been of pivotal concern in the development of a Muvenda girl. Upon reaching menarche, the girls would undergo the compulsory pubescence ritual. vhusha. Vhusha does not seem to be surviving the influence of modernization. This is evident from the poor attendance of this ritual, which is being abandoned without being replaced. There is therefore a need to develop a modern culture-friendly psychoeducationa prom-amme for the prevention of teenage pregnancy in rural Venda. This study is aimed at developing such a programme, and furthermore evaluate its effectiveness. The field experiment Before and After control (Pretest-Posttest) design has been used. The experimental intervention (a programme titled: VHUSHA), comprised sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes and career guidance. A questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument for the variables: sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes and future career goals awareness. At posttest, the experimental group showed a significant improvement with regard to sexual attitudes and future career goals awareness in comparison to the control group. VHUSHA has therefore been effective in this regard. Findings of this study showed no significant difference between the two groups with regard to sexual knowledge. This minimal improvement was primarily attributed to the researcher's being part of a culture that lacks openness in communicating sexual knowledge.

MA (Tshivenda) / Senthara ya M.E.R. Mathivha ya Nyambo dza Afrika, Vhutsila na Mvelele / See the attached abstract below

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This study presents an investigation of basic emotions in Tshivenda: A cognitive Semantics Analysis. The study starts with a literature review which shows what other scholars say about emotions. The study includes mainly the emotion metaphors and force on emotion in Tshivenda. The emotion concepts that receive specific attention in this study are anger, fear, sadness, love, pride and happiness. These concepts are discussed under the “source domains” as postulated. by Zoltan Kövecses in his book (Metaphor and Emotion) (2000) wherein he discusses a number of metaphorical source domains that characterize these emotion concepts.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the mass nouns in Tshivenda. The specific mass nouns in each nominal class will then be investigated to see whether they have certain morphological and syntactic features which are different from count nouns. Chapter one is the introduction of this study. It describes the aim, organisation and method of the study. Chapter two is the overview of the literature on mass nouns. It gives overview of the most prominent words on mass nouns in general. Some of the prominent works on this alternation include the following: Pelletier (1979a, 1979b,); Ware (1979), Cartwright (1979), McCawley (1979) Chierchia (1982), Link (1983) and Eschenbach (1993). Chapter three investigates which nouns may be mass nouns, the purpose of the classification of nouns in wordnet, nominal classes in Tshivenda and the morphological and syntactic features of mass and count nouns. Chapter four is the conclusion of the study, the summary as well as investigation into the morphological, syntactic and semantic feature of plurality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die meervoudige naamwoorde in Tshivenda. Die spesifieke meervoudige naamwoorde sal elkeen in sy normale klas geondersoek word om te sien of hulle sekere morfologiese en sintaktiese eienskappe het, wat nie ooreen stem met tel naamwoorde. Hoofstuk 1 is die inleiding van hierdie studie. Dit beskryf die doelwit, organisasie en metode van die studie. Hoofstuk 2 is ‘n oorsig van die literatuur aangaande meervoudige naamwoorde. Hierdie is ‘n oorsig van die mees prominente meervoudige naamwoorde in die algemeen. Sommige van die prominente werke van hierdie nasie sluit die volgende in: Pelletier 91979a; 1979b), Ware (1979), Cartwright (1979), McCawley (1979), Chierchia (1982), Link (1983) en Eschenbach (1993). Hoofstuk 3 identifiseer meervoudige naamwoorde. Die doel van die klasifikasie van naamwoorde in woordnet, normale klassie in Tshivenda en die morfologiese en sintaktiese eienskappe van meervoudigheid. Hoofstuk 4 is die konklusie van die studie, die opsomming as ook die ondersoek in die morfologiese, sinktaktiese en semantieke eienskappe van meervoudigheid.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: When we consider the total number of complaints, which have been used in the selected Tshivenda dramas, we find that the drama ZWO ITWA has the most complaints. i.e. 24.8% of complaints in the six books. The drama VHD LU FUKULA also has a high number of complaints i.e. 20.8% of all the complaints. In the analysis of complaints in selected Tshivenda dramas, eight strategies were considered. It frequently happened that more than one strategy was used in individual complaints. On average, 2.1 to 1.7 strategies appear in a complaint with an average of 1.9 strategies per complaint. With regard to the analysis of individual strategies in all books, we find that indirect accusation has the highest frequency i.e. 35.7%. This refers to an accusation in which the complainer wants to find out whether the hearer may be the potential agent of the complaint. Thus, the complainer does not directly accuse the hearer of the complaint. The study also reveals that characters like using strategies which are less direct and less face threatening. The strategies which appeared most frequently in of each book are annoyance, indirect accusation, ill consequences and explicit blame on behaviour (action). When we consider the total number of responses, which have been used in all the dramas, the study shows that ZWO ITWA has the most responses i.e. 22.6% of all the responses to the complaints in the six books. The drama VHD LU FUKULA also has a high frequency of responses i.e. 20.5% of all responses. Out of the six types of responses that were identified, question has the highest frequency of 37.3%. It also became clear in this study that some of the questions were used to object. The response, which also has high frequency, is contradiction. This response has a percentage of 21.2% of the total responses. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanneer die totale getal klagtes in die geselekteerde Tshivenda dramas oorweeg word, vind ons dat 2WO ITWA die meeste klagtes het, naamlik 24.8% van die klagtes in die ses boeke. Die drama VHO LU FUKULA het ook 'n groot aantal klagtes, naamlik 20.8% van al die klagtes. In die analise van klagtes in die geselekteerde Tshivenda dramas is agt strategieë oorweeg. Dit gebeur dikwels dat meer as een strategie gebruik is in individuele klagtes. Vanaf 2.1 tot 1.7 strategieë verskyn in 'n klagte met 'n gemiddelde van 1.9 strategieë per klagte. Ten opsigte van die analise van individuele strategieë in al die boeke is gevind dat indirekte beskuldiging die hoogste frekwensie het, naamlik 35.7%. Dit verwys na 'n beskuldiging waarin die klaer wil uitvind of die hoorder die potensiële agent van die klagte is. Dus, die klaer beskuldig nie die hoorder direk oor die klagte nie. Die studie toon ook dat karakters daarvan hou om strategieë te gebruik wat minder direk is en nie 'n persoon se selfbeeld aantas nie. Die strategieë met die hoogste frekwensie in elke boek is ergernis, indirekte beskuldiging, nadelige gevolge en eksplisiete blaam op die gedrag (handeling). Ten opsigte van die totale getal response die klagtes in die betrokke dramas, het die studie getoon dat ZWO ITWA die meeste response het, naamlik 22.6% van al die response op klagtes in die ses boeke. Die drama VHO LU FUKULA het ook 'n hoë frekwensie reaksies, naamlik 20.5%. Van die 6 tipes reaksies het die vraag die hoogste frekwensie, naamlik 37.3%. Dit is ook duidelik dat sommige vrae gaan oor objeksies. 'n Respons wat ook 'n hoë frekwensie het, is teenstelling naamlik 21.2% van alle response.