The use of mobile phone related terminologies among the tumbuka people of lundazi district of zambia

Abstract

Word building and formation is a continuous process which allows languages to grow and maintain their linguistic value. A language with majority speakers always undergoes language maintenance while the language of the minority speakers undergoes language death. Tumbuka being a language of the majority speakers in Lundazi district seems to have maintained itself through lexical building. This paper discusses how the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) phone related lexical terminologies have been integrated in the Tumbuka language of Lundazi district of Zambia. Through group discussions and interviews with the local people regarding phone usage, the study revealed that Tumbuka language has relied on the process of borrowing and loan translation or calque to develop its vocabulary in phone technology. The two processes are the most common processes even the English and other language adopted to build its vocabulary. In conclusion, Tumbuka language of Lundazi has updated its ICT phone terminologies through the normal word building process which meets the required international processes of linguistic word formation. The study recommends that many words be investigated on how they are being used in all ICT related usable gadgets and other sectors like health and engineering to enable the country build a linguistic dictionary in the Zambian languages for use in our country.