culture and language

Language and culture are closely related to one another. This connection results from the fact that it might be challenging to understand people’s cognitive behavior while they are communicating. However, it appears that language has a significant impact on the cultures of different people (Salzmann, Stanlaw, & Adachi, 2014). It gives members who formally declare their commitment to a certain culture a platform from which to share their cultural values and practices. Language is viewed by Salzmann, Stanlaw, and Adachi (2014) as a doorway to a community’s cultural past. Furthermore, language is ingrained in society’s cultural heritage because it is thought to be the key to understanding social reality. Furthermore, the structure of language influences perception that members of a given community will have towards the world (Wardhaugh, 2002). In most cases, this perception has an overall effect on the manner in which communities will adopt the diverse cultural backgrounds as they interact with one another.

The research is going to be focused on the Swahili language which is classified as a Bantu language that is spoken mostly in the East and Central parts of Africa (Prins, 1961). The Swahili language is a mixture of some languages such as English, Portuguese, Persian, Arabic, and other Bantu languages. Initially, the Swahili language was mostly limited to the Swahili people, but over time it has gained popularity, and it is believed that about 50 to 100 million people speak the language (Prins, 1961). In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Kenya, Swahili has been designated as the national language. The music that is played in the Swahili culture is known as taarab, and it is often sung in the Swahili language (Rizk, 2007). The rhythm and melody of the taarab music have some elements of Arabic influence (Rizk, 2007).

The Swahili culture has some idiomatic expressions however just three of the well-known idioms will be highlighted. These include “kitumbua kimeingia mchanga”, ”maji yamezidi unga” and ”kula chumvi” (Polomé, 1967). This first expression is an idiom expression that refers to a scenario where someone’s food has been soiled. A deeper understanding of this expression denotes a situation where something that was of value has suddenly been tainted without some negative aspects. In the Swahili culture, ”kitumbua“ is a pastry delicacy. It usually takes some time to be prepared and when it gets soiled, the long hours that have been taken to prepare it to go to waste.

The second expression, that is, ”maji yamezidi unga” means that the water has exceeded the flour (Polomé, 1967). In a deeper meaning of this expression refers to a situation which has exceeded its anticipated outcome (usually in a negative perspective). The Swahili culture is known for its prowess in making delicious meals. The expression resonates with the cooking culture that is common among the Swahili people. The third expression ”kula chumvi” means to eat salt (Polomé, 1967). A deeper understanding of the expression means that a person has become old. This is a common idiom among the Swahili people due to their proximity to the ocean. Salt was one of the most profitable commodities and was initially a mode of currency.

References

Polomé, E. C. (1967). Swahili language handbook.

Prins, A.H.J. (1961). The Swahili-speaking people of Zanzibar and the East African Coast

(Arabs, Shirazi, and Swahili). In Daryll Forde (Ed.), Ethnographic Survey of Africa. London: International African Institute.

Rizk, M. E. (2007). Women in Taarab: the performing art in East Africa.

Salzmann, Z., Stanlaw, J., & Adachi, N. (2014). Language, culture, and society: An

introduction to linguistic anthropology. Westview Press.

Wardhaugh, R. (2002). An introduction to sociolinguistics (Fourth Ed.). Oxford: Blackwell

Publishers.