Nearly Extinct African Languages in Their Linguistic Landscape: Tjwao of Zimbabwe

Abstract The present article studies the visibility of a nearly extinct language Tjwao (Khoe-Kwadi) in the linguistic landscape (LL) of the rural district of Tsholotsho –an area historically associated with the Tjwa in Zimbabwe. The analysis of the physical, functional, and multilingual characteristics of the signage reveals the following hierarchy of visibility: English is more conspicuous in the signage than Ndebele and Tjwao, which are, in turn, more prominent than Kalanga and other African languages. Shona is absent in the signage contrary to the LLs of the cities of Harare, Bulawayo, and Masvingo previously examined in literature. The considerable visibility of Tjwao is viewed as ‘sustained’ stemming from statal and local interventions related to linguistic/cultural activism, education, and health. In contrast, Tjwao is absent from the signage pertaining to daily community life. Overall, the near extinction of a language – such as Tjwao – does not necessarily imply erasure from its LL.