Table of content

Introduction Page

Question 1 2

Question 2 3 and 4

Question 3 5 and 6

Bibliography 7
Question 1

1. Ubuntu could be interpreted as system of values that affects all facets of life. Do you agree
with this statement? Motivate your answer with examples of Traditional African life.

• Yes I do agree with this statement mentioned above, because Ubuntu has been
described as the essence of being human. It means not nursing grudges, but welling to
accept other people the way they are without discriminating them. It has been generally
believed that when there is Ubuntu, there is happiness, joy, peace, education and
general understanding.
• Ubuntu is indeed noteworthy, to be recognised and imitated. For example, Nelson
Rholihlahla Mandela is a living exception of Ubuntu, who after deficit spending 27 years
of his life in prison, still preserved that he had no bitterness against his captors and
oppressors but only against the system. So has it been said that Ubuntu is an African
thing.
• In AFL1502 I learned that Ubuntu can be described as a system of values that affects all
facets of life especially in education, whether modern or traditional. Ubuntu is seen as a
contribution to human behaviours inculcated in individual by society through established
traditional institutions over a period of time. Such traditional institutions play an
important role in indoctrination (instilling) the spirit of Ubuntu in young women and
men, and losing them could bring the country to its own knees. For instance young
women and men enter initiation schools in order to learn more about traditional values
and customary of them in adulthood. They come to understand the significance of being
human, gentle hospitable of putting yourself out on behalf of others, being responsive,
compassionate and resilient.
 Question 2

2. Explain the relationship between language and culture.

• Language is a method used by people to communicate with one another, consisting of

words used in structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or
gesture. Language is also structured in grammar and free components are its
vocabulary.
• Culture is a system of beliefs, values and assumptions about life that guide behavior and
are shared by a group of people. It includes customs, language and material artifacts.
Culture is also transmitted from one generation to another for purpose of promoting
individual and personal survival, adaption, growth and development.

(b) Name the two major division of sounds distinguished in Phonetics and then briefly
describe 2 differences between these two divisionsvof sounds.

• The vowels : They are first series of sound

: Always accompanied by voice as it moves through the vocal cords.
: In African languages are grouped together because of the airstream that is
used to articulate them.
Examples is : a, e, i, o, u
a [a] (a low center vowel, for example : - bala)
e [e] (a mid-high front vowel, for example : - efa)
e [i] (a high front vowel, for example : - dila)
• The consonants : The second series of sounds we have singled out called consonants.
: A speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of
vocal tract.
: They may be voice or voiceless.

Examples
(i) A voiced consonant, for example, b, or may be without voice, that is a voiceless
consonant for example p.
 (ii) Hindered or impeded, for example m, in some way, or other by specific speech
organ.

(c) What is meant by the term ‘noun class system’? Provide examples from your chosen
African language.

• Noun are placed in different categories, it can be a person, a thing or an object. Each
noun is placed in a separate class, mostly, according to what is means.
Examples
Class Prefix Subject Object concord Noun English
concord
2 aba- ba -ba abantu people
3 umu- u- -wu- umuzi house
Classes

• Class 2, represent human beings.

• Class 3, represent natural phenomena such as trees, plants etc.

(d) The forming of nouns from the roots of verbs is common occurrence in the African
languages. Discuss this occurrence by using examples from your chosen African language.

• The forming of nouns from the roots of verbs is a common occurrence in the African,
which are mainly two types :
• Personal deverbatives, which usually occurs in class 1 and 2, and 7 and 8. They end with
the vowel - i. Example : umfundi
• Non-personal deverbatives ends with vowel – o. Example : imfundo
Question 3

3. Look at the difference in the structure and meaning of the verbs in the following sentence
from your chosen African language.

• Diminutive may be formed to indicate non-living or inanimate objects. The prefix and
suffix can be used to form diminutives for respective languages, the suffix – ana, and –
nyana are used to form diminutives, in languages such as Sotho, Nguni and Tshivenda
languages.
• IsiZulu : USipho uthanda uZodwa
Subject : USipho
Predicate : USipho noZodwa bayathandana
Object : bayathandana

(b) A pronoun may be used to present a noun. Explain this situation briefly by using examples
from your choosen language.

• A pronoun in African languages may be used to represent a noun, for example :

IsiZulu – (abafana) bona badlile.
• Each pronoun is derived from the noun it represents, as in the example above. In
African languages, there are three different types of pronouns, which are :

(i) Absolute pronoun, can be function in any position in which the noun may appear
and may be used instead of noun. This pronoun can stand own its own.
Example : Ubiza wena na? (Dose he call you) – Cha, ubiza bona. (No, he is calling
them)
(ii) Demonstrative pronoun, indicating 3 positions to the noun, and may be translated
with “this”, “that” and “that yonder”.
Example : Izinsizwa lezi, Izinsizwa lezaya, Izinsizwa leziyaya.
(iii) Possessive pronoun stem, which indicates the “possessor” and actually may be
absolute pronoun or demonstrative pronoun.
 Example : Imfundo yethu
For the persons, the following possessive pronouns are used :
IsiZulu : 1st person singular – mi (yami), plural – thu (yethu)
: 2nd person singular – kho (yakho), plural – nu (yenu)
: 3rd person singular – khe (yakhe), plural – bo (yabo)

(c) Choose the sentence from your African language, identify the word category in the underlined
part and explain its structure.

• The Adjective, this word category a qualificative, which we may define a word
category that ‘qualifies’ the noun, by adding quality characteristic, feature or attribute
to the meaning of the noun.
• IsiZulu : Inkomo yendoda ilahlekile. (Imihlabi zendoda zilahlekile).
 References

• According to Samovar (2004, p. 32)

• AFL1502 study guide