An investigation into the impact of noun usage in the Siswati language
Authors: Nkuna Khulisile 
Published: July 2024

Language is regarded as the nation's heritage, and all language users are responsible for its preservation and development. Language embodies people's culture and is the traditional means of communication. It is critical that it be respected because there is science within a language, as seen in the construction of the structure of words, pronunciation, formation, and use in communication. This study aims to look at the application of Siswati nouns. It deals with a noun in the Siswati language. All nations use nouns. A noun is the cornerstone of the language concerned. They will be looked at through various linguistics perspectives: phonetics, phonology morphology, syntax and semantics. The linguistics approach informed the study, which will be solely confined to the micro linguistics dimension. Various types of nouns are selected for the study: common, collective, proper, abstract, and so on. Carl Meinhof's approach guides their classifications and categorizations. The research problem centres on the need for a comprehensive understanding of Siswati nouns, given their pivotal role in the language's grammatical framework and cultural representation. The data collection method involves corpus analysis employing a qualitative approach. The data analysis unveils patterns of noun morphology, semantic categorization, and usage variability across different contexts. Afrocentricity theory will be used to underpin the study. Results reveal intricate patterns of noun class agreement, semantic extension, and sociocultural connotations embedded within Siswati noun usage. Furthermore, the study highlights the dynamic nature of Siswati nouns in response to linguistic contact and cultural evolution. This research contributes to the broader field of linguistics by deepening our understanding of noun systems in underrepresented languages and shedding light on the intricate interplay between language structure, cognition, and culture. SIBUTSETELO Lulwimi lutsatfwa njengeligugu lesive lolumele luvikelwe futsi lutfutfukiswe ngibo bonkhe basebentisi balo. Lucuketse emasiko ebuntfu futsi luphindze lube yindlela yasemandvulo yekuchumana kwebantfu. Nanome kunjalo lulwimi akusiyo intfo lemele ibukelwe phasi ngobe phela lunesayensi lesetjentiswako ekwakheni emagama nasekuwaphimiseni kuphindze kwedlulele ekuwasebentiseni emshweni nakwetfulwa inkhulumo Injongo yalolucwaningo kubuka ngeliso lelibanti kwakheka kwelibito nekusetjentiswa kwalo elulwimini lweSiswati. Tonkhe tive tiyalisebentisa libito. Libito lingumgogodla welulwimi. Litawubukwa ngetindlela letehlukene lokufaka ekhatsi ifonetiki, ifonoloji, imofoloji,isinteksi nesemantiki. Lolucwaningo luyolandzela imikhakha yelulwimi. Lapha kutawuhlatiywa tinhlobo temabito letifana naleti: emabitomvama, emabitogcogca, emabitongco. Kugcogceka nekuhleleka kwawo kutawulandzela umgudvu wa-Carl Meinhof. Inkinga yalolucwaningo kubuka sidzingo sekwati ngalokuphelele kwetinhlobo temabito eSiswati nekwakheka kwato. Uma kubukwa indzima yawo lebalulekile eluhlwini lwelulwimi nekumelwa kwamasiko.Itiyori letawusetjentiswa yitiyori ye Afrocentricity legcizelela kunakwa kwetilwimi talabamnyama njengemagugu neligcabho lesive. Indlela yekucoca idatha kusetjentiswe indlela yekhwalithethivu bese kusetjentiswa indlela yekuhlatiya yekhophasi. Kutawusetjentiswa amasu ekhwalithethivu kuhlatiya idatha kwembula emaphethini e-mofoloji yemagama, kuhlukaniswa kwe-semantiki, nekuhlukahlukana kwekusetjentiswa kuto tonkhe timo letehlukene. Imiphumela yembula emaphethini lamanyenti esivumelwano setigaba semabito, sandziso se-semantiki, kanye netinchazelo tenhlalo-masiko letifakwe ngekhatsi kwekusetjentiswa kwelibito leSiswati. Ngetulu kwaloko, lolucwaningo lugcamisa kugucugucuka kwemabito eSiswati ekuphendvuleni kuchumana kwelulwimi kanye nekugucugucuka kwemasiko. Lolucwaningo ludlala indzima emkhakheni lobanti wetelulwimi ngekujulisa ngekwati kwetfu tinhlelo temabito etilimini letingakamelelwa kahle kanye nekukhanyisa kuchumana lokunyenti ekhatsi kwelulwimisakhiwo, kucondza, nemasiko.