Impact of Zulu on Tsotsitaal

Abstract

Tsotsitaal is a contact medium used by blacks in South African cities. It serves as a lingua franca between peoples of various ethnic groups. Those who created it were also motivated by participation in common activities, particularly crime. Consequently Tsotsitaal is largely a secret language. Zulu has had a far-reaching influence on its vocabulary. Words adopted from Zulu may be grouped into three categories. Firstly, we get Zulu adoptives with some meaning shift. Secondly, we get coinages from Zulu radicals. Thirdly, we get Zulu'ized English loans. In this article the focus is on the semantic import of these adoptives and the morphonological conditioning of the English loans in order to assimilate to the Zulu phonemic structure.