| dc.description.abstract | Language contact often results in the emergence of new varieties. In Kenya
contact between various indigenous Kenyan languages, Kiswahili and English
has resulted in the emergence of Shenq. Sheng, a compound of Swahili and
English, is still in early infancy. Its beginnings cannot be traced beyond early
sixties in Nairobi. Probably because of this relative newness there are as yet
no substantial empirical studies available on this language. There are hardly
any published syntactic, morphological or phonological descriptions 1f Sheng;
nor has any scholar examined the social psychological aspects associated
with it. Sheng is then really a language in the making. We therefore pose
such questions as what is the social and linguistic environment in which
Sheng is emerging, and with what impact? Who speaks Sheng? What is th-e
attitude towards Sheng? What are its prospects?
This study has been carried out in Nairobi. The major focus of the study is on
the social and psychological aspects of Sheng, but attention has also been
paid to the morphosyntaotic aspects as an attempt to understand the nature
and working of the language we are investigating. The investigation,
therefore, will provide us with a description of Sheng as well as afford us the
opportunity to critically examine theories on such phenomena as code
mixing/switching, pidgins and creoles and mixed languages. We will in
addition examine the Nairobi community's attitude towards Sheng. | en_US |
