Vol. 13 No. 3 (2004): Nordic Journal of African Studies
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'Your Chitumbuka is Shallow. It's not the Real Chitumbuka': Linguistic Purism Among Chitumbuka Speakers in Malawi

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  • Gregory Hankoni Kamwendo
Gregory Hankoni Kamwendo
University of Helsinki, Finland
Nordic Journal of African Studies
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53228/njas.v13i3.288

Published 2004-09-30

Keywords

  • culture,
  • language academies,
  • linguistic purism,
  • linguistic prejudice,
  • standardisation

How to Cite

Kamwendo, G. H. (2004). ’Your Chitumbuka is Shallow. It’s not the Real Chitumbuka’: Linguistic Purism Among Chitumbuka Speakers in Malawi. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 13(3), 14. https://doi.org/10.53228/njas.v13i3.288

Abstract

The paper discusses linguistic purism with reference to speakers of Chitumbuka in Malawi. Chitumbuka, along with other Malawian languages (except Chichewa/Chinyanja), was marginalised by the dictatorial regime of President Banda (1964-1994). One of the fruits of the post-Banda political dispensation has been the freedom to form language and cultural associations - and the Chitumbuka Language and Culture Association (CLACA) is one example. One of CLACA's self-given responsibilities is that of a language guardian. In keeping with this role, CLACA has made a number of pronouncements aimed at determining, for example, what the "real" Chitumbuka is; who the "genuine" speakers of Chitumbuka are; and what culturally corrosive issues should be excluded from Chitumbuka-medium textbooks; and so on. All these concerns boil down to the fear of loss of Chitumbuka's purity and/or the fear of Tumbuka cultural erosion. This paper points to the futility of attempts to keep language and culture pure.

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