Review

This paper is a contribution to the 26th Swahili Colloquium in Bayreuth 2013. As the main theme of the conference was Tafsiri ‘Translations’, an analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s poetry will be present-ed, with particular focus on the limits of both language and translation. Looking at the linguistic prop-erties of Kezilahabi’s poetry these linguistic limits seem to represent the various stages of his philoso-phy; in this journey language is the means and the goal itself as it is an important unit of existence. Kezilahabi transfers many ´African´and Swahili elements from past to present and he transfers for-eign elements, from outside to inside, written anew and revived through the poet’s words. This analysis will consider the poetic word as a result of this comparison. The poetic of Euphrase Kezilahabi is also an original result of a comparison between his culture and literature and foreign literature.

Tangu kuzuka kwa umiliki wa vyombo vya moto vya usafiri (mabasi, malori, pikipiki) kwa watu binafsi katika miaka ya 1990 nchini Tanzania, misemo kwa kiasi kikubwa imechupa kutoka katika majukwaa yake ya asili ya kanga, vihangaisho, vipepeo na makawa majumbani na kuhamia katika vyombo vya usafiri. Si tu misemo mipya imezuka bali hata ile misemo ya asili imepindwa na kutumiwa katika miktadha mipya. Waandishi wa semi za magari ni madereva, utingo au wamiliki wa vyombo hivyo. Tumebaini makundi matatu ya misemo katika data yetu, yaani misemo kongwe, misemo pindwa na misemo ibuka, kwa kuakisi nadharia za methali na misemo za Mieder & Litovkina (1999), Mieder (2007) na Litovkina (2011). Je, misemo hiyo ni mkondo wa fikra mpya za watu kama alivyotabiri Kezilahabi (1988, 1995)? / Since the introduction of the private commercial motor transport services in Tanzania in the 1990s, the inscription of sayings has shifted from their mainly traditional platforms of female cotton wrap (Kanga), palm leaf food cover (kawa) or hand fan (kipepeo) onto the tailgate, sideboards or mudguards of commercial automobiles. The vehicle owners and/or their operators are inscribers of these automobile slogans. I analyse them in three forms: standard, parodied and innovated sayings adopting the paremiological approaches by Mieder & Litovkina (1999), Mieder (2007), Litovkina (2011). Do these forms of car inscriptions fulfill the prediction by Kezilahabi (1988, 1995) on the imminent transformation of the Swahili sayings to become a platform for negotiation of people`s tumultuous life challenges and desires?

Tamthilia ya Kiswahili imedhihirisha, kwa njia moja au nyingine, uhusiano wa kimwingilianomatini. Makala haya yanadhamiria kuchunguza viwango na aina za mwingilianomatini baina ya tamthilia mbili za Kiswahili. Tamthilia hizi ni Mashetani (Hussein 1971) na Kijiba cha Moyo (Arege 2009). Tathmini hii inaongozwa na nadharia ya mwingilanomatini. Tumeteua na kuhakiki tamthilia hizi kwa misingi kwamba, kwa muda mrefu, Ebrahim Hussein ameaminika kuwa mmojawapo wa watunzi bora wa tamthilia ya Kiswahili katika eneo la Afrika Mashariki. Wahakiki wa fasihi wanaelekea kukubalia na kwamba Ebrahim Hussein ameathiri watunzi wengi wa baadaye wa tamthilia kimtindo, kimaudhui na usawiri wahusika. Lengo la makala haya ni kujaribu kuonesha jinsi tamthilia za Mashetani na Kijiba cha Moyo zinavyofanana kwa kuchunguza viwango vya mwingilianomatini baina ya tamthilia hizo kwa kurejelea, motifu, maudhui, matumizi ya lugha, na wahusika. Je, ni kwa kiwango gani mtunzi wa Kijiba cha Moyo ameathiriwa na mtunzi wa Mashetani? Je, amemnukuu, kudondoa au kumwiga mtangulizi wake kwa kiwango gani?

Review

This paper applies a post-structuralist literary framework when looking at the philosophical implications of William’s Mkufya’s novel Ziraili na Zirani. The analysis focuses on a free-verse poem per-formed by a black bird in hell. Moreover, there is a focus on the different genre forms at play, such as free-verse poetry and the novel, and an acknowledgement that an understanding of the text relies upon a consideration of these different genre conventions. Ultimately the paper shows how a reading of the text as it is presented in the novel, as a performance, demonstrates a realisation of the different genre conventions at play, thus taking their significance onto a different plain of analysis. Furthermore, attention is drawn to the application of a post-structuralist framework and the various contributions this theoretical model can make to a reading of the poem, notably an emphasis on the resistance to fixed meaning in favour of instability. This results in an exposition of the relevance of a post-structuralist literary framework to Mkufya’s critical reflection upon epistemology as it is portrayed in the black bird’s enigmatic performance, and the novel as a whole.

Nagona na Mzingile, riwaya za mwandishi wa Kiswahili Euphrase Kezilahabi, zinasemekana kuwa na mtindo wa kipekee wa usimuliaji, na simulizi changamano ambalo si rahisi kueleweka. Makala haya yamezichukulia riwaya hizo mbili kama hadithi moja, na kuchunguza muundo wa fumbo unaosababisha upekee wa riwaya hizo. Muundo huo utafunuliwa kuwa ni duara inayorudia uhai na ufu. Nitajaribu kuelewa muundo huo wa duara kutumia fikra ya mwanafalsafa wa dini, Mircea Eliade, na dini ya Ubudha. / Nagona and Mzingile, written by a Swahili author Euphrase Kezilahabi, have been considered to have the unique narrative style and complex storyline, which make the novels difficult to understand. This article regards these two novels as a single inner-connected story to reveal a hidden structure, which makes the novels unique. This structure turns out to be a cycle which regularly repeats birth and death. I will try to analyse this circular structure by using thoughts of a theologian Mircea Eliade and Buddhism.

Hiponimia ni uhusiano wa kifahiwa unaodhihirika baina ya leksimu ya jumla (hipanimu) na mahususi (hiponimu). Kama vile hipanimu mzazi hujumuisha hiponimu baba na mama. Uhusiano huu wa kihiponimia ulidhukuriwa na wanaisimu wa awali kuwa unahusisha leksimu nomino pekee. Hata hivyo, tafiti za hivi punde zinadhihirisha kuwa hiponimia huweza kudhihirika pia miongoni mwa kategoria za vivumishi, vielezi na vitenzi. Ingawa kuna midhihiriko ya hiponimia za vitenzi vya Kiswahili, wataalamu kadha wameelekea kushughulikia hiponimia za nomino na kutotilia maanani vitenzi. Hivyo basi, makala hii imechanganua uhusiano wa kihiponimia unaodhihirika miongoni mwa vitenzi teule vya Kiswahili. Katika kushughulikia suala hili, hipanimu vitenzi 24 kutoka kamusi za Kiswahili zimeteuli¬wa kimakusudi na hiponimu husika kutolewa. Nadharia ya Uchanganuzi Vijenzi kwa mujibu wa Katz na Fodor imezingatiwa katika uchanganuzi wa hiponimia hizi. Katika nadharia hii, sifa bainifu za hiponimu husika huonyeshwa kwa kutumia alama maalum za [+, -]. Data kuhusu hiponimia za vitenzi ilipekuliwa kutoka kamusi za Kiswahili kwa kuzingatia mwelekeo wa kiishara au kisintaksia kwa mujibu wa Hearst, na Snow na wenzake ili kuweza kutambua hipanimu na hiponimu husika katika sentensi. Hiponimia hizi zimechanganuliwa na kuwasilishwa kwa mtindo wa nadharia ya seti. / Hyponymy is a sense relation existing between general lexemes (hypernym) and the specific ones (hyponym). For instance, a hypernym parent includes hyponyms like father and mother. The hyponymy relation was regarded by earlier linguists that it could exist only amongst nouns. However, recent studies indicate that hyponymy can also be manifested in other categories such as adjectives, adverbs and verbs. Though there is hyponymy relation existing amongst Kiswahili verbs, various scho¬lars have tended to focus on nominal hyponymy and disregard verbal hyponymy. Therefore, this article has analyzed the hyponymy relation existing amongst selected Kiswahili verbs. In this regard, 24 verbal hypernyms from Kiswahili dictionaries were purposively sampled and their specific hyponyms indicated. Componential Analysis theory by Katz and Fodor has been used in the analysis of these hyponyms. The theory focuses on distinctive features of specific hyponyms that are normally shown by the use of specific signs [+, -]. The data on verbal hyponymy was observed from the Kiswahili dictionaries by the application of symbolic or syntactic approach propounded by Hearst, and Snow et al in order to identify the hypernyms and specific hyponyms in a sentence. These hyponymy relations are analyzed and presented using the set theory style.

Wir haben uns in der Afrikanistik bislang vor allem mit der Sprache im engeren Sinn beschaftigt, weniger mit dem Sprecher und mit dem, was Jespersen (1924:313) eine `bestimmte Geisteshaltung des Sprechers bezogen auf den Inhalt des Satzes` nannte In den folgenden Uberlegungen beschiiftige ich mich in diesem Sinne mit Sprechereinstellungen in konkreten Kontexten und dem was aus bestimmten Ausserungen fur zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen intrakultureller und vor allem interkultureller Art folgt Solche Ansatze haben heutzutage einen etwas modischen Charakter Wenn wir allerdings die zunehmende Aggressivitat in alien Bereichen der Kommunikation bedenken, bekommen sie doch eine besondere Relevanz.

This paper will offer some arguments to demonstrate that the second type of linguistic relativity becomes a crucial element in all types of intercultural (comparative or merely descriptive) discourse analysis, because of the existence of what I have called elsewhere internationalized genres such as written literature, journalism, scientific discourse, and political discourse (see Blommaert 1990, 1991) This point will be illustrated by refening to Tanzanian Swahili political rhetoric