Abstract
A synopsis of the grammatical description of the so-called ‘subject concord’ in Sotho and Zulu: historical and comtemporary viewsThe term "concord” is generally used as an umbrella term for a diversity of language forms in the morphological description of language units in African languages. Since “concord" does not specifically indicate a unit of rank in the morphological hierarchy of language symbols, but implicitly refers to the function of language units, the result of this practice is that a purely grammatical distinction between related language units is not always possible. For example, historically and contemporarily, the so-called "subject concord" is often interpreted in morphologically diverse and often even contradictory ways. This article examines the grammatical status of the so-called "subject concord” in Northern Sotho and Zulu in terms of existing views regarding its morphological or word status in the light of Van Wyk's (1953, 1958 and 1967) research. Specific attention is paid to changes in rank, drawing a clear distinction between “subject concords” as verbal prefixal morphemes and “subject concords” as particle words. Finally, it is recommended that a clear grammatical distinction should be drawn between morphemes and words, and furthermore that reference to these units should differ terminologically. This viewpoint suggests that the term "concord" should rather be avoided completely.
Highlights
Die problematietc van die grammatiese beskiywing van taaleenhede in die Afriicatale het sy oorsprong in uiteeniopende benaderings wat histories
Die feit dat die term skakel nie na ’n spesifieke rangeenheid op die taalsimboolhierargie verwys nie, is moontlik die belangrikste rede waarom daar, veral in vroeëre grammatikas, maar ook in resente publikasies, uiteenlopende grammatikale status aan hierdie taalverskynsel toegedig is
Die term concord word deur Crystal (1980:78) beskryf as: “A term used in grammatical theory and description to refer to a formal relationship between elements whereby a form of one word requires a corresponding form of another”
Summary
'n Oorsig oor die grammatiese beskrywing van die sg. "onderwerpskaker in Sotho en Zulu ontwikkel het by Suid-Aiirikaanse universiteite. In sekere gevalle is benaderings oor formele taalbeskrywing deur die standpunte van individue bepaal, wat dikwels tot gevolg het dat daar selfs binne ’n spesifieke departement Afrikatale by ’n bepaalde universiteit verskillende benaderings ten opsigte van die linguistiese beskrywing van aanverwante tale blootgelê kan word. Spesiale aandag word ook bestee aan E.B. van Wyk (1958) se navorsing wat verreikende gevolge gehad het, veral vir morfologiese ontledings in Noord-Sotho en Zulu. Die term “onderwerpskakel” (subject concord) verwys na ’n taalvorm in die Afrikatale wat vormlik deur ’n grammatiese onderwerp gegenereer word en sodanige onderwerp in die predikaat markeer. Die sintaktiese funksie wat dié taalelement verrig, het tot gevolg gehad dat dit in morfologiese ontledings met die term ‘(onderwerp)5fo7fe/’ benoem is. In een van die oudste Zulu-grammatikas onderskei Wanger (1917; 14) “onderwerpskakels” van ander taalvorme met die term nomimtief-pronomen, wat impliseer dat dié taalvorm tot die taalvlak woord behoort. 'n Oorslg oor die grammatiese beskiywing van die sg. "onderwerpskakei" in Sofho en Zulu
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