Usuku loLwimi lweNkobe: Usuku olunikezelwe kulwimi apho iingcinga zethu zokuqala ziye zathethwa ngomlomo-lilizwe esisenakho ukukholelwa kulo. Sahlukile kakhulu, kodwa le yinto esabelana ngayo sonke.
Ulwimi lwenkobe lomntu luthathwa njengolwimi aluve kuqala eseyimveku nomntwana oselula, olu idla ngokuba lulwimi lomntu ongumama obe noxanduva lwakho usemncinci kakhulu. Ikwalulwimi owathetha ngalo amagama akho okuqala, ulwimi oluthe ngeli xesha ulufunda, lamisela isicwangciso sazo zonke iilwimi onokuzifunda kamva apha ebomini.
Abanye abantu banokuba neelwimi ezimbini njengeelwimi zenkobe ngakumbi xa bephuma kwikhaya elithetha iilwimi ezininzi. USuku lweeLwimi lweNkobe ludala indawo yokuba sicinge ngeso siseko soluhlu lwethu lweelwimi – into ekwaphembelela indlela esisebenzisana ngayo nehlabathi elisingqongileyo. Imalunga nonxibelelwano olunzulu ngokweemvakalelo kunye nethuku lolwimi lwethu, ewe, kodwa ikwamalunga nokuba ulwimi lunokusibeka phi. Xa sidibana nabanye sisabelana ngolwazi siveza ubuchule nolwazi lwezinye iilwimi. Ulwimi lwethu lweenkobe luthungelana neelwimi esizisebenzisa kwezinye iindawo, umzekelo emsebenzini. Ubani usenokukhetha ukungayivumi le ndibaniselwano asuke azicinezele izimvo zakhe – nangona kunjalo, ukuqaphela ukutyeba kwamava ahlukeneyo, iindlela zokuveza izimvo neembono kwenza amaqela omeleleyo – amaqela anokuthi anxibelelane ngcono omnye komnye ngaphakathi nakwabo babakhonzayo.
Ekubhiyozeleni la mandla akhethekileyo kunye nengqiqo yokuba kunokwenzeka phakathi kwethu sonke ngabanye, abanye abasebenzi beZiko leeLwimi babelane ngento ethile ngonxulumano nolwimi lwabo lweenkobe:
Unxibelelwano kunye nobuntu-bomntu
“Ndithanda ukucinga ngesiXhosa njengobuntu bam. Ndikhule ndiluthanda ulwimi lwam ngaphandle kokukuqaphela oko. Oko kwathi kwaziveza kubhalo lwesincoko okanye kuhlalutyo lwencwadi ngeli xesha ndandikwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo. Ndandikwanayo nencwadi endandibhala kuyo imibongo yesiXhosa. Ndikhumbula utitshala wam ebonisa ugxa wakhe ngencwadi endandiyihlalutyile ndisenza iBakala le-11. Ndingathi yiyo yonke le nto eyandikhuthazayo ukuba ndifune ukwazi nokufunda banzi ngolwimi lwam, njengoko ndaphela ndibhalisela isiXhosa njenge subject ephambili eYunivesithi. Ngelo xesha ke, ndandingazi nokuba mininzi imisebenzi umntu anokuyenza ngaphandle kokufundisa ulwimi, kodwa ndaqhubeka nokufunda isiXhosa ndiqhutywa kukusithanda.”
– Asiphe Sogiba, Itoliki
Uchulumanco lokwabelana ngolwimi lwakho lwenkobe
“Ndiyazingca ngesiAfrikaans. Ndikhule notata waseWest Coast owandifundisa amagama afana nelithi ‘snoek’,/ usnuku ‘bokkoms’ neebokomo [i-mullet enetyuwa,eyomileyo okanye elukhuni ekwabizwa ngokuba yiCape biltong], ‘galjoen’ negaljun. Namhlanje ndisasebenzisa intetho yakhe ayithandayo, ethi ‘Siesa Skipper!’, xa umntu enze into entle.
Ngoku ndingumhlohli onenyhweba yokufundisa abafundi bamazwe ngamazwe isiAfrikaans. Inzondelelo abalufunda ngayo ulwimi lwam lweenkobe iyandimangalisa rhoqo. Kwaye yonke into i-‘LEKKER’ [bayonwabela kakhulu]! Amagama kaNelson Mandela (acazululwe), Ukuba uthetha nendoda ngolwimi lwayo, oko kuya entliziyweni yakhe’, ayinyaniso. Ndiluthatha njengobizo ebomini bam ukuchukumisa iintliziyo zabantu ngokubazisa ngolwimi lwam lweenkobe.”
– uGqirha Vernita Beukes, Umhlohli noMnxibelelanisi
Ibonakalisa izithethi zayo
“Ulwimi lwam lwenkobe sisiNgesi, nolwimi lukatata sisiNgesi kananjalo. Loo nto indenza ndibe ngumohluko kwilizwe lam uMzantsi Afrika, apho bemalunga neepesenti ezintlanu kuphela abemi abanesiNgesi njengolwimi lokuqala.
Ulwimi beluyinto endiyithandayo kakhulu ukusukela ndisemncinci kakhulu. Ndiqale uhambo lwam lolwimi ngokunika ingqalelo ngakumbi kupelo lwesiNgesi oluthandeleneyo kunye nokubiza amagama, kwaye bendikuthanda ukuzama ukusongela intloko yam kubunzima baso. Noko ke, kungekudala ndaqalisa ukufunda isiFrentshi, isiAfrikaans kunye nentwana yesiZulu, isiNgesi sibe sisikhokelo sam ekuboniseni indlela iilwimi ezahluke ngayo olunye kolunye.
Ngokuthe ngcembe ndabuqonda ubutyebi obuziswa kukufunda iilwimi ezininzi; ukuba ubuNgesi obugwegwelezayo ngentetho, nobuchubekileyo bunemvelaphi yesiFrentshi esithethwa kwinkundla yasebukhosini eNgilani kude kube yinkulungwane okanye ngaphezulu edlulileyo, kwaye kwashiya umkhondo wayo ngamagama anjengo ‘courtesy’ (imbeko), ‘liberty’( inkululeko), ‘fraternity’ (ubuzalwana), ‘equality’ (ukulingana), ne ‘university’ (iyunivesithi) kunye buthuntu bamagama eCeltic anjenge ‘quaff’, namanye amagama amaninzi anxulumene nempucuko, imfundo nomthetho. Ndafunda ukuba ubuthuntu bamagama eCeltic anjenge ‘quaff’ (ikwafu) ,‘drink’ no ‘sit’ (sela nohlala) ayinxalenye yeengcambu zesiNgesi zesiJamani kwaye zabethelelwa ngokuthe ngqo kwiilwimi zesiJamani ezifana nesiAfrikaans nesiJamani. Kwaye, okothusayo, amagama anemvelaphi yesiZulu afana ne ‘indaba’ (inkomfa, ngeendaba) no‘donga’ (umjelo owomileyo owenziwe kukukhukuliseka ngamanzi abalekayo), ‘babbelas’ ibhabhalazi ngokwesizulu, ‘bonsella’ (ibhasela) ayeyinxalenye yolwazi lwam lwesiNgesi, ethethwa kwincam yelizwekazi laseAfrika. IsiNgesi sam, nendisifunde kwidolophu yakowethu iRhawuti, sikwabonakalisa iinkcubeko ezininzi zabaphambukeli ezitsaleleke kule dolophu inemigodi, apho uqweqwediso lungamandla. Ngoko ke kum amagama e-Yiddish asetyenziswa kwisiNgesi saseMzantsi Afrika anjengo ‘chutzpah’ (ichutzpa), ‘schmuck’ (i-schmakhi), ‘kugel’ (imbumbulu), ‘bagel’ (ibhegi), ‘shabbat’ (isabatha), ‘platz’ (indawo) no ‘meshugge’ (nemeshuge) ongeza ubutyebi kwisigama sam yaye afana nobutyebi obulindele ukufunyanwa.”
– uGqirha Kim Wallmach, Umlawuli weZiko leeLwimi
Uvakalelo lokubuyela ekhaya
“IsiAfrikaans yinto endayifunda kumama. Wayenelizwi elingathi yintsimbi, kwaye wayethetha isiAfrikaans ngokungazigwagwisi kunye nokunyaniseka kwaseSutherland eKaroo apho wakhulela khona – isiAfrikaans sikaNP van Wyk Louw. Ebudeni beholide yosapho yakutshanje eSwakopmund ndiye ndachukunyiswa yindlela ekwahluke ngayo apho nendlela endaziva ndisekhaya ngayo, ngaxeshanye. Umntu uva isiAfrikaans kuyo yonke indawo: esitratweni, kwincoko yabafazi ababini abangamaHerero abagaxele izinxibo zesintu; ukusuka kwi-Ovambo barista kwivenkile yekofu: ‘Is mevrou al gehelp … wat gaan dit vandag wees?’ [‘Ingaba sele uncediwe nkosikazi… iyakuba yintoni namhlanje?’]. Ibhinqa eliodola ikofu yalo lime ecaleni kwam lavela laqala incoko. Kamva uye wahlala ecaleni kwam waze wandibonisa iifoto zeSpitzkoppe. Uthi ukhulele eNamibia, kodwa wayehlala eRiphabhlikhi ixesha elininzi lobomi bakhe obudala. Amazwi akhe aphinda amava am: ‘Ingathi ndifikile ekhaya … ndingaphefumla apha.’ Kwimeko yam, le mvakalelo yayinento yokwenza kakhulu nomba wokuba ndiluva ulwimi lwam kuyo yonke indawo; ukuthetha ngokukhululekileyo nangokungazicingeli: iAfrikaans entle.
Ngelixa lokhenketho lokuhamba ngebhayisikile kumlambo iTsauchab, ndaphawula kwinkokheli yotyelelo yaseDamara kunye nosapho lwam indlela emihle ngayo imithi yomtamariske kunxweme lomlambo: ngesiAfrikaans intsele yomlambo yi‘rivierloop’, (ukubaleka komlambo) kwaye igama elithi ‘loop’ likwathetha ‘ukuhamba’ okanye ‘ukuqukuqela okanye ukubaleka’, kwimeko yolwelo]. Omnye wabantwana bam waphendula wathi: [Akukho manzi apha – iAfrikaans entle theni usithi umlambo uyaqukuqela nje?’] Inkokheli yokhenketho yamisa wonke umntu waza wehla kwibhayisekile yakhe. Wathetha nabantwana: ‘Umama wenu uthetha kakuhle isiAfrikaans- iAfrikaans entle.Yinto leyo nina bantwana eningaze niphulukane nayo.’ Xa ndandimbuza ngemvelaphi yakhe yolwimi, waphendula ukuba usapho lwakhe lwaluthetha isiDamara nesiNgesi kunye nesiJamani kancinci. [‘Kodwa sithetha isiBhulu xa sifuna ukuthetha isiBhulu; xa sifuna ukuthetha kakuhle.’]
Kum, laa ndoda yomDamara yenye yeembalasane zeholide yethu. Ubukho bakhe, kwakukho imvakalelo yokukhululeka ngokubanzi, imvakalelo yobuhlobo nokuqhelana nokuqondana; kwanemvakalelo yolonwabo.
Ndathi ndakumbukela ekhwela ibhayisekile ngamandla phambi kwam kwindlela enothuli, ndakwazi oku ubuhle bolwimi lwam luyachuma, kanye njengeetamariske ezi ethe-ethe ezomeleleyo kwintsele yomlambo owomileyo waseTsaukabhi.”
– uGqirha Carmen Brewis, Itoliki ephezulu
Ulwimi olungaphakathi
Sikwanawo nombongo esinokwabelwana ngawo, kwaye sikhethe ukungawuguquleli lo mbongo koko sabelane ngawo kwimo yawo yokuqala ngolwimi lwesiAfrikaans. Lo mbongo ungolwimi njengelifa lomntu, kunye nendlela abacebisi bolwimi lomntu (abazali, ootitshala) kananjalo ube nempembelelo enkulu kwinto umntu ayijonga njengeyakhe.
My taal, my erfenis
Afrikaaps is nie my taal nie.
Sommige woorde kan ek nie verstaan nie.
My taal
het ek geleer van kindsbeen af
saam met die klingel en tongklap
van die aksent
wat my streek rojaal kweek.
Daar het ek begin verstaan
en geleer my ma en pa se taal.
Met my Afrikaanse onnie
wat berispend die spelreëls aanhaal,
nie tjent nie, maar kind,
nie tjy nie, maar jy.
Idiome sou ek goed onthou:
Iemand wat hard werk
is ʼn werkesel,
anders was dit die rottang vir jou.
My taal kom uit die boeke wat ek lees.
Tussen die blaaie
kon ek kies om iemand anders te wees.
Daar in die stilte van my drome
sonder die kletterende lawaai
in ʼn omgewing sonder energie belaai,
kry my taal sy lêplek
daar sonder die tjy en tjou,
daar lewe ek.
My kom-vandaan is eenvoudig,
tog is alles volop rondom en binne my.
Daar teen die Weskus het ek my asem gekry.
Daar is taal in my erfenis gebrei.
Nou kruip en klou
die wortels van my taal
diep en welig
sonder ophef of kabaal
lewe dit uit my pen
koester dit die erfenis wat ek ken.
– Anne-Mari Lackay, Umququzeleli: Kwiingcebiso kwiLebhu yokuBhala
KwiZiko leeLwimi laseSU, sikholelwa ukuba lulwimi olusidibanisayo, kwaye siya kuhlala sidibanisa abantu ngokuphucula unxibelelwano nokuqonda.
Ibhlogi ebhalwe Susan Lotz noGqirha Kim Wallmach; uguqulo lolwimi lwenziwe nguSandisiwe Majika noGqirha Lwandlekazi Notshe noAsiphe Sogiba
