CONTEMPORARY JOURNAL OF LINGUISTICS AND LITERARY STUDIES

ChiHwesa Diminutives: Morphology, Semantics, and a Radial Category Analysis

Chirimaunga Tendai, Ngomacheza Loice — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Diminutive systems in Bantu languages have undergone diverse morphological and semantic developments, resulting in considerable cross-linguistic variations. However, the extent to which these developments are reflected in ChiHwesa remains unknown. This study investigated the morphology and semantics of diminutives in ChiHwesa, an under-described Bantu language spoken in Zimbabwe. Particular attention was paid to their formation within the noun class system and the meanings associated with diminutive constructions. Guided by Jurafsky’s (1996) Radial Category Theory, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, virtual ethnography, and corpus analysis. The findings show that ChiHwesa marks diminutivity through the prefixes /ka-/ (class 12) and /tu-/ (class 13), and employs the morphological processes of substitution and pre-prefixation, while class 13 exhibits allomorphic variation in certain contexts. Unlike some neighbouring Bantu languages that use suffixal diminutive strategies, ChiHwesa relies exclusively on noun class reassignment for diminutive formation. The findings further reveal that ChiHwesa diminutives form a radial semantic network in which the core meaning ‘child’ extends through metaphor and inference to related meanings such as ‘young’, ‘small’, ‘affectionate’, and ‘pejorative’, indicating the cognitive interconnectedness of diminutive meanings. The study contributes to Bantu evaluative morphology by demonstrating how an under-described language preserves a productive noun class-based diminutive system while developing language-specific semantic extensions.

Lexical Category Vulnerability in L1 Attrition: Evidence from Heritage Vocabulary among Kara Young Adults in Tanzania

Mosi Masatu Mlibwa — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Studies investigating the lexical categories likely to attrit mostly focus on EFL contexts. In this regard, little is known about L1 attrition in the L1 context. Hitherto, in the EFL context, there has been a longstanding disagreement about which lexical items are more vulnerable to attrition and the reasons for their latent vulnerability. Consequently, this study identifies lexical categories that are more vulnerable to attrition in a non-EFL context and establishes the theoretical reasons for this vulnerability. It is a mixed research, employing the Cross-Linguistic Influence Hypothesis and the Activation Threshold Hypothesis, integrated into the concept of “Core and Peripheral lexicon”. The study obtained data from 15 Kara young adults aged 18-39 as the target group and 15 older adults aged 40 and above as the control group, purposively selected and recruited through the snowballing technique. Data collection involved proficiency-testing tools such as direct vocabulary elicitation, verbal fluency tests, and picture-naming tasks. Data analysis involved list development, which later formed the Six-Phase Thematic Analysis of information chunks. The study establishes that nouns are more vulnerable to attrition than verbs, primarily because they form the peripheral lexicon (easily affected by borrowing). Meanwhile, Adverbs, adjectives, and minor word classes demonstrated resilience because they constitute the core lexicon. The study establishes, therefore, that lexical attrition in a non-EFL context depends on the degree of interface between a lexical category and the language’s either internal or external system. Moreover, the study recommends further research across diverse contact situations to provide additional insights that will contribute significantly to the debate and yield new theoretically and empirically grounded perspectives on the phenomenon.

Evaluating Stakeholders’ Efforts in Supporting English Language Teaching and Learning in Day Secondary Schools: A Case of Bunda District, Tanzania

Baraka Kasinge Mwikwabe — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Despite the expected efforts of stakeholders (teachers, school administrators and education supervisors), learners in day secondary schools continue to show weak communicative competence, implying that stakeholder support is either insufficient, irregular or ineffective. Consequently, the study evaluated the nature of these stakeholders’ efforts in supporting English language teaching and learning in Bunda District, Tanzania. Guided by Stakeholder Theory, the study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design involving interviews followed by questionnaires. A total of 142 respondents from four day schools participated, including 128 students, 8 teachers, 4 heads of school, and 2 education supervisors. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings indicate that support for English language learning exists but remains fragmented and inconsistently offered. Many learners reported participating in classroom activities, but most of them lacked confidence in speaking English independently, revealing a gap between participation and communicative competence. Teachers were expected to support English language teaching and learning by creating opportunities for learners to practise and use English actively. However, the findings revealed that communicative learning activities such as debates, storytelling, and discussions were not implemented consistently across the schools. School administrators mostly used verbal and material encouragement, while formal motivational programmes were rarely implemented. Education supervisors supported English teaching and learning through inspections, resource allocation, and professional support. However, inspections were irregular and had limited follow-up mechanisms. In general, stakeholder efforts were found to operate largely in isolation rather than as an integrated support system. The study concludes that stronger stakeholder coordination, sustained institutional support, and consistent implementation of communicative language activities are needed in the research area. There was also a need for regular school inspections, periodic stakeholder coordination meetings, expanded English-language programmes, and robust monitoring of classroom communicative practices.

Code-Mixing in Tanzanian Telecommunication Advertisements: A Matrix Language Frame Analysis of Kiswahili, Kiswahili cha Mtaani, and English

Felix Kwame Sosoo, Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie, Hadija Jilala — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Although code-mixing has traditionally been discouraged in structured communication (including publications and mass media), telecommunications advertisements increasingly use it to engage diverse audiences, particularly younger consumers, and remain competitive. Meanwhile, previous research has predominantly focused on codemixing in everyday conversations and classroom settings, leaving code-mixing in contemporary media underexplored. Consequently, the present study examined the structural forms of code-mixing in telecommunication advertisements in Tanzania, focusing on the interaction among Standard Kiswahili, Kiswahili cha Mtaani (KcM), and English. The study adopted a qualitative approach and purposive sampling to select audiovisual advertisements from major telecommunication companies on social media platforms in Tanzania. Data were analysed qualitatively using Carol Myers-Scotton's (1993, 2006) Matrix Language Frame (MLF) model. The findings reveal four recurrent structural forms of code-mixing: lexical borrowing, intra-word mixing, register mixing, and transitional (nonce) forms, with Kiswahili consistently functioning as the matrix language. English and Kiswahili cha Mtaani provide embedded lexical elements associated with technology, modernity, efficiency, and urban identity. Transitional forms such as strimu, cheki, spidi, and supa exhibit partial phonological and morphological adaptation to Kiswahili, suggesting a continuum between code-switching and borrowing. The study concludes that code-mixing in telecommunication advertising is a systematic and strategically deployed communicative resource that enhances audience engagement while projecting technological modernity and urban identity. Further research may examine audience perceptions of code-mixed advertising across different demographic groups.

Euphemism Preferences among Swahili-speaking Netizens in Death-related Communication

Lazaro Charles — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Death is a culturally sensitive and linguistically distasteful topic, often requiring euphemisms to refer to it. While previous studies on death-related euphemisms in Swahili have mainly relied on questionnaire-based data, little attention has been given to naturally occurring data in digital communication among Swahili-speaking netizens. Consequently, the present study examined the euphemistic language used by Swahili-speaking netizens when discussing death. Specifically, the study investigated the nature of expressions used to talk about four subthemes related to death, namely dying, the corpse, the grave, and burial, as well as the linguistic strategies underlying their formation. The study is mainly grounded in Politeness Theory and supported by Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The study's data stemmed from naturally occurring interactions on JamiiForums, WhatsApp, and YouTube. Data collection involved observing written comments on JamiiForums and WhatsApp, and listening to YouTube discussions about death. The collected data were analysed qualitatively. The findings indicate that euphemistic language in digital communication about death among Swahili speakers is mainly shaped by their cultural norms, religious beliefs, and social considerations of politeness. Furthermore, the choice of euphemism is mainly determined by the interaction setting on these digital platforms, where users make linguistic choices depending on the audience and the privacy of communication. The identified euphemisms are expressed through metaphors, slang, borrowing, and circumlocution. By identifying and describing contemporary euphemisms used in actual digital communication about death-related issues, and by examining the influence of culture and politeness on their use, this study provides insights into the evolution of euphemistic expressions in Swahili sociopragmatics and digital communication.