Thesis (M.A) --University of Limpopo, 2005 / Word-building falls into two broad categories, namely, derivation, (the creation of lexical items) and inflection (the creation of grammatical words). This study focuses on derivational morphology in Tshivenda. It reflects an analysis of different word-formation processes such as affixation, compounding, zeroderivation, back formation, clipping, blending, acronym, adoption of brand names as common words, borrowing, anomatopoeia, transposition, and stress-shift. This work shows that Tshivenda derivations enable us to form new words by recycling the pre-existing material (morphemes and words), that is, to add new lexical items to the open word-classes such as nouns and verbs. It will also be evident from this work that it is possible to create new words in Tshivenda by removing or reducing some parts of the words. This work will show how Tshivenda terminology can be updated to cope with the demands of present-day life.

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2003 / Refer to document

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / The study is about the use of suspense in Tshivenḓa literature. It focuses on a few selected drama works of prominent authors in Tshivenḓa. In a nutshell the study shows a critical role that suspense plays in drama. It argues that without suspense, a drama will not be worth reading or watching. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi yo ḓitika nga ndeme ya u sia muyani kha maṅwalwa a Tshivenḓa. Nyombedzelo i ḓo vha kha kushumisele kwa ndeme kwa u sia muyani kha ḓirama dza vhaṅwali vho bvumaho kha Tshivenḓa. Ṱhoḓisiso ino i ima kha ḽa uri ḓirama i nga si takadze arali ha shaea tshiteṅwa tsha u sia muyani.

MA (Tshivenda) / Senthara ya M.E.R Mathivha ya Nyambo dza Afrika, Vhutsila na Mvelele / Language shift is the process whereby members of a community in which more than one language is spoken abandon their original language in favour of another. This research concerns language shift by speakers of the Tshivenḓa language found in Beitbridge district in Zimbabwe. The Vhavenḓa people in Beitbridge district are shifting away from their language and using other languages found in the district. Today the Vhavenḓa people living in Beitbridge have adopted other languages and dislike their own. The consequence of forsaking their mother language has had a negative impact on the Vhavenḓa people. The research aims at discussing the concept of shift, what kinds of behaviours constitute shift and indications of shift in the Tshivenḓa language. The research also gives recommendations on how to reduce language shift in the Tshivenḓa language in Beitbridge.

MA (Tshivenda) / Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Nyambo dza Afurika kha Vhutsila na Mvelele / NRF

Thesis (Ph.D. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / This study examines the translation of idioms and fixed expressions between Tshivenḓa and English. The aim of the study is to explore factors that lead to the mistranslation of idioms and fixed expressions between the two languages. The study presents problems that are encountered in the translation of the idioms and fixed expressions between these languages and looks at translation strategies that can be used. In translating idioms, the translator encounters various difficulties that are not usually easy to overcome mainly due to lack of equivalence. It is rare to come across an idiom in the source language that shares the same form and meaning in the target language. In order to deal with the problems that arise in the process of translation, translators use various strategies. Among others, the translator must have extensive knowledge about the function of idioms in the source and target languages. From the data collected, the study revealed that there are numerous problems that the translator comes across in the process of translation. These include the ambiguity of idioms; idioms expressing meaning at a literal level; idioms that do not exist in the target language and the frequency of use of an idiom. The study adopted the qualitative research approach to collect and analyse data. Through use of this approach, it was noted that the translator needs to take into account cultures associated with the languages involved as well as the context in the translation process. The translation of idioms cannot be properly done without considering the impact of culture. A translator must be well-versed in the culture of both the source and target languages. It is important for one to know that language and culture are two entities that are inseparable. Idioms and fixed expressions express the uniqueness of the language and culture of the respective languages. Therefore, translators must have a comprehensive knowledge base of both languages and cultural context. From the recommendations made in this study, the following are the most prominent ones: Linguists should be exposed to idiomatic expressions in order to enhance their knowledge of the translation of idioms and fixed expressions. There are instances where idioms are translated literally because the translator does not understand or recognise the idiom. Therefore, this study recommends that translators need to learn more about idioms in order to have better understanding of translation of idioms and fixed expressions. Translators need to learn more about the translation strategies that are available to deal with the translation of idioms and fixed expressions. The first strategy is translation by using an idiom of similar meaning and form. This strategy involves using an idiom in the target language consisting of equivalent lexical items, which conveys roughly the same meaning as that of the source-language idiom. The second strategy is translation by idioms of similar meaning but dissimilar form. This strategy uses an idiom in the target language which has a meaning similar to that of the source idiom or expression, but consists of different lexical items. The third strategy is translation by paraphrasing. In this strategy, the translator transfers the meaning of an idiom using a single word or a group of words which roughly correspond to the meaning of the idiom but is not an idiom itself. The fourth strategy is translation by omission. This is used to completely omit the idiom from the target text where there is no close match between the items of the two languages. Where the idiom is very difficult for the translator, one tries to eliminate the whole part of the idiom. The fifth strategy is translation by a superordinate. This strategy is used to solve the problem of non-equivalence across languages because the hierarchical structure of semantic fields is not language specific. This strategy involves translation by a more neutral and less expressive word. Lastly, it is translation by cultural substitution which is a method that requires the replacement of a culture-specific item or expression with a target language one that has no exact meaning, but has an impact on the target reader. However, this study recommends translation by idioms of similar meaning with a dissimilar form. The researcher believes that this strategy provides the closest meaning of the idiom in the target language. Idioms might not be the same in form but the meaning can be derived from the idiom with a dissimilar form.

Thesis (M.A.) --University of Limpopo, 2010 / Refer to document

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the cognitive, conceptual, linguistic, communicative and cultural nature of metaphors in Tshivenḓa in spoken discourse within the framework of conceptual metaphor theory extended to the framework of metaphor research on language, mind and culture, developed especially in the works of Kövecses (1999, 2000a,b, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2011a,b). This study on metaphor in Tshivenḓa assumes an intuitive method in that the analyst identified metaphor usage in Tshivenḓa introspectively, while a more data-driven methodology is also assumed through the systematic identification of metaphors within a pre-determined set of lexical-semantic items and the conceptual mappings of selected metaphors from previous metaphor research. The study systematically identifies metaphors in spoken communication in Tshivenḓa by considering the occurrence of the following types of nouns as source and/or target: (i) natural objects and phenomena, (ii) human beings, (iii) animals, (iv) body shape and colour, (v) body parts, (vi) medicine, (vii) diseases, (viii) food-related nouns, (ix) artifacts and possessions, (x) emotions, (xi) character traits and virtues, (xii) religious terms. The study gives evidence of the striking nature of metaphors as cultural products or constructs in the interpretations evoked by the source domain nouns and the cross-domain mappings posited for the source and target, thereby providing compelling evidence that metaphor research needs to take into account the cognitive, linguistic, communicative and cultural nature of metaphor usage. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie doen ‘n ondersoek van die kognitiewe, konseptuele, linguistiese, kommunikatiewe en kulturele aard van metafore in gesproke kommunikasie in Tsivenḓa binne die breë raamwerk van konseptuele metafoorteorie soos uitgebrei na die raamwerk van metafoornavorsing oor taal, denke en kultuur, soos veral ontwikkel in die werk van Kövecses (1999, 2000a,b, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007 en 2011a,b). Die studie aanvaar ‘n intuïtiewe ondersoekmetode in die sin dat die navorser metafoorgebruik in Tshivenḓa introspektief geïdentifiseer het, terwyl ‘n meer data-gedrewe metodologie terselfdertyd ook aanvaar is deur die sistematiese identifisering van metafore binne ‘n voorafbepaalde stel leksikaal-semantiese items asook deur die konseptuele karterings van geselekteerde metafore vanuit vorige metafoornavorsing. Die studie identifiseer op sistematiese wyse in Tshivenḓa gesproke kommunikasie die volgende semantiese tipes naamwoorde as bron of teiken in die metafoor: (i) natuurlike objekte en verskynsels, (ii) mense, (iii) diere, (iv) liggaamsvorme en kleur, (v) liggaamsdele, (vi) medisyne, (vii) siektes, (viii) voedsel-naamwoorde, (ix) artifakte en besittings, (x) emosies, (xi) karakter kenmerke en attribute, en (xii) religieuse terme. Die studie bied evidensie aan die treffende aard van metafore as kulturele produkte of konstrukte in die interpretasies opgeroep deur die bron-domein naamwoorde en die kruis-domein karterings gepostuleer vir die bron en die teiken, en bied daardeur oortuigende bewyse dat metafoornavorsing die kognitiewe, linguistiese, kommunikatiewe en kulturele aard van metafoorgebruik in aanmerking moet neem.

Thesis (M. A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2002 / Refer to the document

Thesis (Ph.D. (Tshivenda)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The issue of African identity in African literature has been receiving considerable attention in recent times. However, comparatively speaking, the focus has largely been on texts written in English, whereas texts written in (African) indigenous languages have received minimal attention. Moreover, critics who cannot understand the language of indigenous writing ignore such writings in their criticisms, which culminates in the treatment of indigenous writings as palimpsests on which the other records their story. Consequently, perspectives and philosophies shared by indigenous literature are marginalised and only those conveyed in European languages are considered. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to, firstly, attempt to draw Tshivenḓa poetry from the periphery to the ‗centre‘ of conversations on issues of selfhood, identity and culture in the postcolonial context. Secondly, it sought to show that a representative selection of Tshivenḓa poetry can provide indices into the trajectories and nuances of the Vhavenḓa people‘s selfhood, identity and culture. Undergirded by a trifocal theoretical framework, namely Afrocentricity, the hermeneutical approach and postcolonial theory, the study shored up various aspects that were thematised by the selected poets as indices into the Vhavenḓa‘s selfhood, identity and culture. The study employed a qualitative research approach and the descriptive method to analyse sixteen (16) purposively sampled poetry texts. Textual and thematic analyses were relied on in the analysis of the selected texts. The study found that Tshivenḓa poetry demystifies the meta-narratives propounded by colonialists and exponents of apartheid about African people‘s selfhood, identity and culture. Tshivenḓa poetry attains this, firstly, by demonstrating that the indigenes have always had ways through which they expressed their selfhood, identity and culture, and secondly, by agentively challenging hegemonic discourses on selfhood, identity and culture. The analysis of the selected texts also revealed that the Vhavenḓa poets derive their sense of selfhood, identity and culture from two main sources: God (Ṅwali) and their ancestors. It was noted that most of the modern Vhavenḓa poets‘ concept of ‗God‘ gravitates more towards the Judeo-Christian worldview, while those who espouse ‗ancestor veneration‘ promote the Africanist traditional religion as their base for identity formation and articulation. The former observation in particular should be ascribed to the influence of Christian missionaries. Other themes, such as Tshivenḓa mythology, religion, agitations for self-identification and representation, marriage, socio-cultural traditions, selenology, cosmology, cosmogony, dance, and ritual, are mainly anchored to the Vhavenḓa‘s notions of theocentricity and anthropocentricity. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on politics of identity and discourses interested in how the formerly colonised indigenes seek to assert their presence and agency after decades of marginalisation and repression. The study recommends that aspects of selfhood, identity and culture that are encapsulated in Tshivenḓa poetry should form part of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) that need to be studied in institutions of basic and higher education. For the sake of knowledge preservation and perpetual transmission, communities should be proactive in passing this knowledge to the younger generations. / National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) and South African Humanities Deans Association (SAHUDA)