AFL2601
Assignment 2 Semester 1 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, QUESTION 1
The Classification of My Chosen African Language as a Bantu Language
According to Guthrie’s criteria, a language must meet four fundamental structural
features to be classified as a Bantu language. I will illustrate how my chosen
African language, isiZulu, qualifies as a Bantu language based on these criteria.
1. Sign of Gender – Noun Class Prefixes
Bantu languages use a system of noun classes, each marked by a specific prefix.
In isiZulu, nouns belong to different classes, each with a distinctive prefix. For
example:
Class 1 (Singular): umu-fundi (a student)
Class 2 (Plural): aba-fundi (students)
These prefixes indicate the grammatical category of the noun rather than
biological gender, reinforcing the first criterion.
2. Singular and Plural Noun Class Pairs
In isiZulu, as in other Bantu languages, singular and plural noun classes are
paired systematically.
Singular (Class 1): umu-ntu (a person)
Plural (Class 2): aba-ntu (people)
This pattern continues up to class 10, where singular nouns are usually placed in
odd-numbered classes, while their plural counterparts are in even-numbered
classes.
3. Class Concordance – Grammatical Agreement
IsiZulu employs class concordance, meaning that nouns in a specific class
influence the form of other words in a sentence, such as adjectives, pronouns,
and verbs.
For example:
Abantwana bayadlala (The children are playing)
Umntwana uyadlala (The child is playing)
Varsity Cube 2024 +27 81 278 3372
, Here, "aba-" in abantwana (children) determines the verb prefix "ba-" (bayadlala),
while "umu-" in umntwana (child) determines the verb prefix "u-" (uyadlala). This
ensures grammatical consistency.
4. No Sex Reference in Pronouns and Concords
IsiZulu does not distinguish between "he" and "she" in its subject concords and
pronouns.
For example:
Umfana uyahamba (The boy is walking)
Intombazane uyahamba (The girl is walking)
Both sentences use the same subject concord "u-", irrespective of whether the
subject is male (umfana) or female (intombazane). This aligns with Guthrie’s
criterion that Bantu languages lack sex-based grammatical distinctions.
Conclusion
From the above analysis, isiZulu meets all four of Guthrie’s linguistic criteria for
classification as a Bantu language. It possesses a systematic noun class
structure, paired singular and plural forms, grammatical agreement through
concords, and gender-neutral pronouns. This structural framework is common to
many Bantu languages, reinforcing their shared linguistic heritage.
QUESTION 2
2.1
Several factors have influenced the linguistic situation in South Africa, leading to
a disparity in language acquisition between White and Black South Africans.
Firstly, the economic factor has played a significant role. In the past, business
and education were primarily conducted in English and Afrikaans, forcing Black
South Africans to learn these languages for employment and economic survival.
White South Africans, however, had no economic incentive to learn an African
language.
Varsity Cube 2024 +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 2 Semester 1 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, QUESTION 1
The Classification of My Chosen African Language as a Bantu Language
According to Guthrie’s criteria, a language must meet four fundamental structural
features to be classified as a Bantu language. I will illustrate how my chosen
African language, isiZulu, qualifies as a Bantu language based on these criteria.
1. Sign of Gender – Noun Class Prefixes
Bantu languages use a system of noun classes, each marked by a specific prefix.
In isiZulu, nouns belong to different classes, each with a distinctive prefix. For
example:
Class 1 (Singular): umu-fundi (a student)
Class 2 (Plural): aba-fundi (students)
These prefixes indicate the grammatical category of the noun rather than
biological gender, reinforcing the first criterion.
2. Singular and Plural Noun Class Pairs
In isiZulu, as in other Bantu languages, singular and plural noun classes are
paired systematically.
Singular (Class 1): umu-ntu (a person)
Plural (Class 2): aba-ntu (people)
This pattern continues up to class 10, where singular nouns are usually placed in
odd-numbered classes, while their plural counterparts are in even-numbered
classes.
3. Class Concordance – Grammatical Agreement
IsiZulu employs class concordance, meaning that nouns in a specific class
influence the form of other words in a sentence, such as adjectives, pronouns,
and verbs.
For example:
Abantwana bayadlala (The children are playing)
Umntwana uyadlala (The child is playing)
Varsity Cube 2024 +27 81 278 3372
, Here, "aba-" in abantwana (children) determines the verb prefix "ba-" (bayadlala),
while "umu-" in umntwana (child) determines the verb prefix "u-" (uyadlala). This
ensures grammatical consistency.
4. No Sex Reference in Pronouns and Concords
IsiZulu does not distinguish between "he" and "she" in its subject concords and
pronouns.
For example:
Umfana uyahamba (The boy is walking)
Intombazane uyahamba (The girl is walking)
Both sentences use the same subject concord "u-", irrespective of whether the
subject is male (umfana) or female (intombazane). This aligns with Guthrie’s
criterion that Bantu languages lack sex-based grammatical distinctions.
Conclusion
From the above analysis, isiZulu meets all four of Guthrie’s linguistic criteria for
classification as a Bantu language. It possesses a systematic noun class
structure, paired singular and plural forms, grammatical agreement through
concords, and gender-neutral pronouns. This structural framework is common to
many Bantu languages, reinforcing their shared linguistic heritage.
QUESTION 2
2.1
Several factors have influenced the linguistic situation in South Africa, leading to
a disparity in language acquisition between White and Black South Africans.
Firstly, the economic factor has played a significant role. In the past, business
and education were primarily conducted in English and Afrikaans, forcing Black
South Africans to learn these languages for employment and economic survival.
White South Africans, however, had no economic incentive to learn an African
language.
Varsity Cube 2024 +27 81 278 3372
