[kictanet] The Sheng Question

Mon Feb 27 20:22:35 EAT 2012

While it is good to speak Swahili, English etc, it is also good to enjoy
culture, and sheng is our culture right now (Ask Tuju:)
Daniel and Rigia, thanks for the resources.
Now I need a clarification, Daniel points to a paper stating that Sheng is
not creole or pidgin,but a dialect. Warigia says its pidgin or
creole.....which is which?

rgds

2012/2/27 Solomon Mbũrũ Kamau <solo.mburu at gmail.com>

> Thanks Rigia for the clarification
>
>
>
> On 27 February 2012 20:06, Warigia Bowman <warigia at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear Solomon
>>
>> Sheng is clearly a dialect, not a language. I did not say that Sheng is
>> an endangered language. I said I work on kamusi, which works on digitizing
>> endangered languages. I said Sheng is a creole, or as someone else
>> mentioned, a pidgin.
>>
>> Yours, Rigia
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 10:56 AM, Solomon Mbũrũ Kamau <
>> solo.mburu at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Good people,
>>>
>>> AFAIK, sheng is not a language. For a language to fit in that category,
>>> it takes a long period of time to develop in terms of phonetics etc. But
>>> with Sheng, today you refer to something, tomorrow, it's not referred so,
>>> yet it has not changed a bit. Sheng is a mode of communication which is
>>> popular in one area.
>>> And Wairigia, how do you categorize sheng as an endangered language, yet
>>> it does not qualify as one?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 27 February 2012 19:39, Warigia Bowman <warigia at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Wapendwa Wenzangu
>>>>
>>>> It would be good if we could all speak 1) Kiswahili Sanifu 2) Our local
>>>> language and 3) some colonial language such as English or French
>>>>
>>>> I am on the board of www.kamusi.org. We are interested in digitizing
>>>> endangered languages.
>>>>
>>>> Sheng is a vibrant and growing creole, and should be respected as such.
>>>> It probably does not need formalizing, as it is living and changing daily,
>>>> but it may benefit from documentation.
>>>>
>>>> Warigia
>>>>
>>>>  On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 10:27 AM, Daniel Waweru <
>>>> daniel.waweru at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>  (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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>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder
>>>>>> platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy
>>>>>> and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder
>>>>> platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy
>>>>> and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>>
>>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
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>>>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Dr. Warigia Bowman
>>>> Assistant Professor
>>>> Clinton School of Public Service
>>>> University of Arkansas
>>>> 1200 President Clinton Ave.
>>>> Sturgis Hall
>>>> Little Rock, AR 72201
>>>> 501-683-5227
>>>>  wbowman at clintonschool.uasys.edu
>>>> http://democratizingegypt.blogspot.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>
>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Dr. Warigia Bowman
>> Assistant Professor
>> Clinton School of Public Service
>> University of Arkansas
>> 1200 President Clinton Ave.
>> Sturgis Hall
>> Little Rock, AR 72201
>> 501-683-5227
>> wbowman at clintonschool.uasys.edu
>> http://democratizingegypt.blogspot.com
>>
>>
>
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>
> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>

-- 
Grace L.N. Mutung'u (Bomu)
Kenya
Skype: gracebomu
Twitter: GraceMutung'u (Bomu)
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