[kictanet] The Sheng Question

[Daniel Waweru]

(1) Sheng is already widely-spoken in urban bits of Kenya, and knowledge of
it is essential effectively to communicate with anyone under 40.

(2) There's good research indicating that Sheng is not a creole or a
pidgin, but rather a dialect of Swahili. (Paper by Chege Githiora attached.)

(3) It is thoroughly mysterious why Kenyans should speak only those
languages that are widely spoken by its trading partners, especially in
light of the fact that those trading partners do not speak only the
language of their trading partners. Chinese, which you seem to have assumed
is a single language, is actually a family of dialects, several of which
are not mutually intelligible. I have not seen any move by the government
of China to restrict their use, or formal study of them, on the ground that
it is time to use only English.

Daniel Waweru
www.kenyaimagine.com
Art and analysis; debate and opinion.


On 27 February 2012 11:18, James Mbugua <jgmbugua at gmail.com> wrote:

> Sheng will go nowhere and formalization is a waste of time.
>
> The 1billion Chinese and the 1billion Indians and 600million Europeans
> and nearly 800million Africans do not and will not speak it.
>
> English as we all know is the language of business and Vision 2030
> requires us to monumentally grow our export and services sector which
> requires international interaction.
>
> Sheng, like Nigerian and Jamaican pidgin is in safe hands with touts
> and DJs. They will keep the flame alive.
>
> Regards
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 2:02 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I believe that if we are serious about turning sheng into a formal
> language
> > then we need a site like http://www.urbandictionary.com/ if we are to
> > harmonise across the country or region.
> >
> > As I keep repeating, annoyingly, I grew up in eastlands (mimi sio mbabi)
> and
> > one thing I know is that sheng is not homogeneous beyond 100 meters of
> where
> > you are standing.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Robert Yawe
> > KAY System Technologies Ltd
> > Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> > P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> > Kenya
> >
> > Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
> >
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> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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