Klassifikasie van die Tsongadialekte van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika
Baumbach, E. J. M.
In chapter 1 a short exposition of the history
of the Tsonga tribes is given.
In chapter 2 the reflexes of the different
Proto-Bantu sounds in the particular Tsonga dialects are
given.
Chapter 3 is a short exposition of the grammar
of Nkuna, the dialect on which the standard language is
based.
Chapter 4 The grammar of all the other dialects is compared
with that of Nkuna in chapter 4.
Chapter 5 a classification of the Tsonga
dialects is made. The writer shows that a linguistic
classification of dialects based on geographical principles
or on the history of the different tribes speaking the
dialects is untenable, since no account is taken in such a
classification of the present state of the various dialects.
A classification of dialects according to isoglosses is also
not scientifically correct, because of the subjective judgement
of' the investigator in deciding which isoglosses must
be regarded as primary and which as secondary.
Chapter 6 The writer then makes a classification of the
Tsonga dialects into dialect clusters according to principles
which he regards to be purely objective and scientific in
which all the similarities and differences of the dialects
are taken into account without the writer's subjective judge-
ment playing a role.
Capter 7 According to these principles, the Tsonga
dialects of' the Republic of South Africa are divided into
the following dialect clusters:
Nucleus dialect cluster consisting of the following
dialects: Changana of Gija, Changana of Komatipoort,
Nkuna, Changana of Bushbuckridge, Gwama, Hlave, N'walungu,
N 'walungu of the Vakavaloyi, Changana Mnisi and Changana of Makhuva.
(b) Periferal dialect cluster consisting of Konde.
(c) Intermediate A dialect cluster consisting of
Xiluleke of Makuleke, Xiluleke of Mhinga, and Nhlanganu.
(d) Intermediate B dialect cluster consisting of Xonga.
↧