Wow, even before I jot down some lines for this post, I feel my love oozing for the art of being a linguist. I am not one myself, by I thrill and break with happiness when I see a person - speaking another language apart from his or her own or the language he or she learnt when he or she grew up.
My heart just gets filled with joy when I see a fellow Namibian speaking a language different from the mother tongue --- my body gets relaxed and energized as I mesmerize with honour my compatriot realizing that we are all human - body and soul - filled with blood and bones under our skin and we mean no harm to one another - we are all creatures of the Lord - and we must love one another as per biblical word.... the language to me is acquired from one's environment - and is not really genetic -- this to me means that I can be black, but if I was raised by a white person who spoke a different language other than the one I learnt from my baby days, I was going to speak differently today.
In Namibia for instance, we have a number of language groups - ranging from oshiwambo speaking, otjiherero, Damara Nama, Rukavango, SiLozi, Setswana, Afrikaans, English, German, !Ha and many others, including portuguese, french and even Mandarine, Russian, Spanish since we also have international communities here.
We are such a diverse nation - and we love our individual languages - but there are those who have broken to yoke of individualism and embrace the notion of being one Namibia One Nation...and have learnt to speak other languages too...
Last night, although sorrowful that time - as I attended the memorial service of my constituency concillor - I witnessed the late's cousin displaying the spirit of being a Namibian - speaking oshiwambo and Rukwangali as well as English.... I find it special and respectful when another person learns the next person's language and never try and look down on the other's language...
Yes, nowadays to know languages is a business skill and a huge advantage - to the person who is armed with such competencies.... you can go to any village - and the residents there will appreciate you as you speak in the language they understand - you will be able to put your message across - and you can also translate and share that message with others.
At the business level - various countries such as Angola and Mozambique in the Southern African Development Community Area of Jurisdiction speak portuguese, and if you can master that, it will only be a plus - at AU and other levels, french or spanish and even German as well as Mandarin will become compulsory as we face a changing environment where we embrace the world -- Africa and China, Africa and Russia, Africa and Arabic Countries are friends - and they have to do business with one another - therefore having the particular language skill is core and key.
Therefore, whether it is Ngangela, Tjimbundu, Zambezi, or whatever language we hear today - let's embrace that as those languages just enrich our own skills and culture.... and it has nothing to do with a particular person speaking that language - therefore, there is no need to undermine, or dismiss a particular language ... yes, many of Namibians suffered under apartheid - and had afrikaans imposed on many of them --yes, many were angry for the "original speakers"?? of the language .... and hated it - while some schools boycotted this particular language in both SA in Namibia --- but when you personally think deep about this language - just as a language and not a person who imposed it - do you really need to hate the language - words put together to make up a language??
It's the same when you are for instance robbed by a particular language group - robbed of your property - or your dignity - e.g. raped or just humiliated --- would you say that particular language spoken by such people is no longer worth it ?? I am just asking a question - and I am not taking any side here - I am allowing for some deep thinking ....
Yeah -coming back to the subject, I will once again say being a linguist just makes my heart grow fonder...
My heart just gets filled with joy when I see a fellow Namibian speaking a language different from the mother tongue --- my body gets relaxed and energized as I mesmerize with honour my compatriot realizing that we are all human - body and soul - filled with blood and bones under our skin and we mean no harm to one another - we are all creatures of the Lord - and we must love one another as per biblical word.... the language to me is acquired from one's environment - and is not really genetic -- this to me means that I can be black, but if I was raised by a white person who spoke a different language other than the one I learnt from my baby days, I was going to speak differently today.
In Namibia for instance, we have a number of language groups - ranging from oshiwambo speaking, otjiherero, Damara Nama, Rukavango, SiLozi, Setswana, Afrikaans, English, German, !Ha and many others, including portuguese, french and even Mandarine, Russian, Spanish since we also have international communities here.
We are such a diverse nation - and we love our individual languages - but there are those who have broken to yoke of individualism and embrace the notion of being one Namibia One Nation...and have learnt to speak other languages too...
Last night, although sorrowful that time - as I attended the memorial service of my constituency concillor - I witnessed the late's cousin displaying the spirit of being a Namibian - speaking oshiwambo and Rukwangali as well as English.... I find it special and respectful when another person learns the next person's language and never try and look down on the other's language...
Yes, nowadays to know languages is a business skill and a huge advantage - to the person who is armed with such competencies.... you can go to any village - and the residents there will appreciate you as you speak in the language they understand - you will be able to put your message across - and you can also translate and share that message with others.
At the business level - various countries such as Angola and Mozambique in the Southern African Development Community Area of Jurisdiction speak portuguese, and if you can master that, it will only be a plus - at AU and other levels, french or spanish and even German as well as Mandarin will become compulsory as we face a changing environment where we embrace the world -- Africa and China, Africa and Russia, Africa and Arabic Countries are friends - and they have to do business with one another - therefore having the particular language skill is core and key.
Therefore, whether it is Ngangela, Tjimbundu, Zambezi, or whatever language we hear today - let's embrace that as those languages just enrich our own skills and culture.... and it has nothing to do with a particular person speaking that language - therefore, there is no need to undermine, or dismiss a particular language ... yes, many of Namibians suffered under apartheid - and had afrikaans imposed on many of them --yes, many were angry for the "original speakers"?? of the language .... and hated it - while some schools boycotted this particular language in both SA in Namibia --- but when you personally think deep about this language - just as a language and not a person who imposed it - do you really need to hate the language - words put together to make up a language??
It's the same when you are for instance robbed by a particular language group - robbed of your property - or your dignity - e.g. raped or just humiliated --- would you say that particular language spoken by such people is no longer worth it ?? I am just asking a question - and I am not taking any side here - I am allowing for some deep thinking ....
Yeah -coming back to the subject, I will once again say being a linguist just makes my heart grow fonder...
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