Lexical and Semantic Variation in isiXhosa: A Comparative Study of Gqeberha and Mthatha Speech Communities

This study examines lexical and semantic variation in isiXhosa as spoken in the Gqeberha and Mthatha speech communities in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. Although isiXhosa is predominantly spoken in this region, it exhibits substantial dialectal variation influenced by social, historical, and geographical factors. These influences have led to the emergence of distinct regional varieties. The study focuses on comparing lexical and semantic features across these two urban centres, with the aim of understanding the sociolinguistic dynamics shaping their linguistic identities. The research is anchored in the diglossia theory and adopts a qualitative methodology. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with isiXhosa speakers from both Gqeberha and Mthatha. The findings reveal significant differences in vocabulary, lexical semantics, grammar, and accent. The variety spoken in Mthatha aligns more closely with the standardised form of isiXhosa, while the Gqeberha variant reflects greater lexical innovation and contact influence. The Gqeberha variety exhibits stylistic innovations in its lexicon where those imaging words are of no semantic significance in speech. These differences have implications for indigenous language education and policy, particularly regarding the accommodation of regional variation. Furthermore, the study highlights how these linguistic differences have contributed to the formation of sub-hegemonies, emerging identities, and underlying tensions among speakers of the different isiXhosa varieties.