A study of Zulu concepts, terms and expressions associated with Umuthi
Donda, N. G. (Nkonzoyakhe Godshero), 1955-
This dissertation explores the significance of the terms, and
expressions associated with traditional medical practitioners
towards the enrichment of the Zulu language. The term umuthi was
chosen because it envelops semantically more than its English
equivalency ·medicine·. Nkabinde (1 988:38) states that umuthi can
mean a 'tree' or ·medicine·.
Abathakathi 'sorcerers'; izangoma 'diviners'; iziguli 'patients' and izinyanga
tradit ional healers· use the language in such a way that new terms are
coined for example ukweqa 'to walk/step over' > umeqo 'disease caught
after stepping over medicine·. some of the terms pertaining to diseases,
medicines and the practice of medicine are borrowed from other
languages and have contributed to the expansion of the Zulu
vocabulary. compare for instance the following examples:
imfiva < 'fever'
imfuluwenza < 'influenza'
Certain terms are compounds such as umdumakhanda < ukuduma +
ikhanda 'insanity'; umankabeni < ubuhlungu obuzungeze inkaba 'sharp pains·.
The shrubs and trees used by the makers, users and abusers of
medicines when mixing, all have names. Each and every mixture of
medicine has its own name, for example:
intando 'love charm·
udukanezwe ·medicine to cause a person to wander away'.
Although the above medicines have a variety of ingredients they
are nevertheless referred to as intando or udukanezwe. These terms,
inter alia, contribute to the expansion and the enrichment of the
Zulu language.
semantics plays a vital role in this study, since the labels used to
refer to umuthi and the practice thereof are organised in semantic
networks of synonymy, antonymy, homonymy and the like. The
use of 'hlonipha' (the warp and woof of Zu lu anthropology) in the pract ice of umut hi is also investigated in this study, however, this is
done with the emphasis on the linguistic aspects of this
phenomenon.
The expressions used by the makers, users and abusers of medicines
are investigated. This includes a study of idioms and proverbs
which refer to medicine and the practice thereof.
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