Indigenous language preservation: A study of the Tshivenḓa speech community in South Africa

This sociolinguistic study explored the significance of language preservation through the use of indigenous forms of address by the Vhavenḓa in South Africa. Indigenous forms of address are integral to the language and cultural identity of a society. Furthermore, they are indispensable in the preservation of the language and culture of any society. Ignoring the use of these forms of address can lead to language shift or even extinction. This study utilised face-to-face semi-structured interviews to gather and analyse data. The researchers sampled 22 Tshivenḓa L1 participants, 14 youths, and eight elders. The study used the ethnopragmatic theory as its framework. This theory helped the researchers to understand the use of forms of address within the Tshivenḓa cultural scripts, such as cultural norms and values. The findings revealed that using forms of address is pivotal in preserving the Tshivenḓa language. The language will be preserved if lexical items, such as aa, nndaa, and mboloma, are used for greeting. The Vhavenḓa speech community is found in the Limpopo Province in South Africa; the term “Vhavenḓa” refers to people who speak Tshivenḓa, while Tshivenḓa refers to the language and culture of these people. The study recommends that Indigenous Tshivenḓa forms of address should be included in school syllabuses and aired on television and radio programmes. In this way, the Tshivenḓa language can be prevented from shifting or dying, as its disappearance may have dire consequences for its development as a language.