Sol T Plaatje and Setswana : contributions towards language development

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore Sol T. Plaatje's use of Setswana and in that way explain primarily the nature and extent of his linguistic contributions to the rise, growth and development of the language as a modern communication means in South Africa. To obtain greater understanding of Plaatje's contribution, his Setswana translation of two Shakespeare plays, his paremiology, patronyms and onomastic examples are investigated through tools adapted from the rhetoric field, literary criticism, discourse analysis, pragmatics, sociolinguistics and language planning. Furthermore, by employing traditional grammar methodologies combined with conceptual frameworks derived from Transformational Generative principles, Plaatje’s work is descriptively exposed. The analysis of certain Plaatjean products seeks to bare the intralinguistic features of the Setswana variety or the Serolong forms he employs in the translations, the Diane proverbs, some folktales of A Sechuana Reader and related prose passages. Instances of the Serolong lect or his idiolect are treated as data bearing textual evidence of his efforts to preserve, elaborate and develop the broader Setswana sociolect that he perceives as in decline under English linguistic imperialism. The role he played in his native language's evolution is traced by trawling through documents and publications that presumably convey Plaatje's development policy and plan for Setswana. The main findings of the textual and/or contrastive analyses on selected portions of his Diane proverb collection and Setswana translations of Shakespeare, i.e. Comedy of Errors and Julius Caesar (renamed Diphosophoso and Dintshontsho tsa bo-Juliuse Kesara), are that his manipulation of Setswana morpho-phonological, lexico-semantic features and syntactic forms is characterized by innovative expression. Plaatje’s use of creative translation strategies including well-formed discourse patterns further reveal of several linguistic changes and advances in early 20th century Setswana. (vii). His usage of the Serolong variety in domains as different as journalism, ethnic history, story-telling, court interpreting, lexicography, onomastics and patronymy, provides evidence of a pioneering exercise of his native tongue’s expressive musculature. As such, the works resonate with his re-vitalization inputs for the sociolect to cope with the communication demands and challenges of a rapidly changing society. Research analysis of the linguistic discourse patterns in his writings thus uncovers the significant contributions he made to Setswana’s evolution, across several literary genres. While recognizing the study’s limitations owing to a focus on Plaatje’s linguistic productions only, the scope helped open up avenues for further and deeper investigation. Firstly, the enquiry appears to confirm the view that he was a language developer with literary and linguistic skills deserving greater recognition and high valorization. Secondly, Plaatje’s endeavours to grow and advance Setswana should serve as a model for contemporary language development policies and plans which African sociolinguists could adopt, adapt and/or emulate. The thesis makes a definite contribution to scholarly debates and discussions centering on the direction of African language planning and development. As such, research of Plaatje’s contributions are recommended for research to break new ground in areas like, orthography modernization, ethnolinguistic lexicology, editing and the writing of thesauruses or dictionaries for marginalized South African languages like Setswana. This is crucial especially because African intellectuals and leaders like Plaatje apparently address the problems facing their native languages from a developmental and socio-political angle. The holistic approach evidenced in Plaatje’s writing of Native Life, Mhudi and, as exhibited in analyses of Diane, Diphoso and Dintsho passages, suggests that modern socio-political solutions are required for linguistic problems. With such goals in mind, future language planners might succeed in rescuing African languages from the same incipient decline Plaatje warned about.