An Investigation of Morphophonological Nativisation of English Loanwords in Nyakyusa

Abstract

Nyakyusa is the Bantu language registered as M.31 and it is spoken in the South-Western part of Tanzania, particularly in Mbeya Region and some parts of Njombe. Similar to other languages, the Nyakyusa is in contact with the English language whose lexicon is fed by the English loanwords. This study aimed to explore how English loanwords are adapted and integrated into the Nyakyusa language. English is one of the most widely spoken languages globally, and its contact with Nyakyusa has become the primary source of loanwords, with approximately 95 percent of Nyakyusa’s borrowed vocabulary originating from English. The English loanwords in Nyakyusa are adapted to suit the Nyakyusa morphophonotactics because the two languages have dissimilar morphophonotactics. Additionally, English has influenced the phonological structure of Nyakyusa. This is because borrowed words are adapted to fit the sound system of the Nyakyusa language. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the Lexical Phonology and Morphology (LPM) theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design, structured within an interpretive research paradigm, and employed a qualitative research methodology. The study employed a purposive sampling of 14 native Nyakyusa speakers. Data were collected through participant observations, interviews, and documentary reviews and subsequently analysed thematically. The findings revealed that the Nyakyusa language integrates English loanwords through several morphophonological processes, including segmental substitution, vowel epenthesis, glide epenthesis, segmental deletion, and segmental retention. These processes help to modify English morphophonotactic elements that violate the Nyakyusa language norms. The researchers recommend conducting comparative studies on the nativisation processes in other Bantu languages in order to contextualise the findings and highlight unique or shared features within the language family.