[kictanet] The Sheng Question

[lordmwesh]

Pidgin, noun: Any language which consists of a mixture of other
languages (Chambers concise usage Dictionary).

Creole: A stable, fully fledged natural language developed from mixing
of parent languages (Wikipedia extracted 27th February 2012).

Dialect, noun: A way of speaking found only in a certain area or among
a certain group or class of people (Chambers concise usage
Dictionary).

>From these definitions, Sheng is ...

On 27/02/2012, Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) <nmutungu at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> > kictanet mailing list
>>>>>>> > kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>>>> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jgmbugua%40gmail.com
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > 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.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> kictanet mailing list
>>>>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/daniel.waweru%40gmail.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 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.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> kictanet mailing list
>>>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/warigia%40gmail.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 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
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> kictanet mailing list
>>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>>
>>>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/solo.mburu%40gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> kictanet mailing list
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>
>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/nmutungu%40gmail.com
>>
>> 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)
>


-- 
______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva
For
Business Development
Transworld Computer Channels
Cel: 0722402248
twitter.com/lordmwesh
transworldAfrica.com | Fluent in computing
kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know