Published September 18, 2023
This workshop is inspired by the demonstrated interest in investigating forms of language used by people, particularly those residing in the multilingual cities of the continent. Examples of these include Sheng from Kenya, Camfranglais from Cameroon, Nouchi from Ivory Coast and Tsotsitaal from Southern Africa. Tsotsitaal, which was born in the townships of Gauteng in the 1940s, is known by a number of alternative names including flaaitaal, is’camtho, ringas, isiTsotsi and kasitaal. It spread beyond Gauteng into other provinces and neighbouring countries through the movements of migrant workers as they made their journeys home. In Tshwane, this hybridity of language can be traced through what is known as Spitori.
The workshop emerged from the constructive phase of the Ba re dictionary created by the Another Road Map Maseru Working Group. Between April and August 2018 the group organised a series of workshops collectively entitled Skima Sesotho. These workshops brought together exercises and critical discussions that were intended to get Basotho excited about the Sesotho language; its expansion and creation of new vocabularies.
Through this workshop, we will introduce processes for cultivating new words complete with definitions and example sentences. Words could be entirely new creations or they could seek to capture slang words that are used in particular social contexts, e.g. schools, villages, churches, neighbourhoods, etc.
Entrance to participate is FREE
Date: 21 September 2023
Time: 14:00-15:30