Umongo womlando wezilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika

Umongo womlando wezilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika ukhombisa ukuhlukahluka okukhulu kolimi olwakhiwe iminyaka eminingi ngenxa yokuxhumana phakathi kwezizwe, izifiki, kanye nokwakheka kombuso wobukoloni. Izilimi zomdabu ezifana nesiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, isiSwati, isiSotho, isiPedi, isiTswana, isiVenda, nesiTsonga ziye zasetshenziswa izizukulwane ngezizukulwane njengendlela yokuxhumana, ukulondoloza umlando, kanye nokudlulisa amasiko. Lezi zilimi azigcinanga nje ngokuba ingxenye yempilo yansuku zonke kodwa futhi zazibamba iqhaza elibalulekile ekubumbaneni komphakathi.

Nokho, ukufika kwabamhlophe baseYurophu, ikakhulukazi amaDashi nabaseBrithani, kwashintsha kakhulu lesi simo. Izilimi zabo, isiBhunu (okwakungokokuqala njengolimi lwe-Afrikaans) kanye nesiNgisi, zaba wulimi olwalusetshenziswa ezikoleni, ezinkantolo, nasemahhovisi kahulumeni. Lokhu kwabangela ukuthi izilimi zomdabu zihlaliswe eceleni, futhi ngenxa yohlelo lobandlululo (apartheid), abantu baseNingizimu Afrika abaningi baphucwa amalungelo okusebenzisa ulimi lwabo emikhakheni esemthethweni nemfundweni. Lokhu kugcine kuholele ekutheni ezinye izilimi zomdabu zinciphise kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kwazo futhi zagcina sezisengozini yokunyamalala.

Ngemuva kokuphela kobandlululo ngo-1994, kwaba nomzamo oqinile wokuvuselela nokuphakamisa izilimi zomdabu. Umthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika wamukela izilimi ezisemthethweni eziyishumi nanye (kamuva kwane South African Sign Language) njengezisemthethweni, okuhlanganisa nezomdabu kanye nezamakoloni. Lokhu kwakuyisinyathelo esikhulu sokubuyisela isithunzi kulimi ngalunye futhi kuqinisekiswe ukuthi izilimi zomdabu ziyavikelwa, zithuthukiswa, futhi zisetshenziswa ngokulinganayo kwezinye.

Isimo sezilimi

Izilimi ezisemthethweni eNingizimu Afrika zimi ngale ndlela: isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, isiSwati, isiPedi, isiSotho, isiTswana, isiTsonga, isiVenda, isiAfrikaans, isiNgisi, kanye neSign Language yaseNingizimu Afrika. Lezi zilimi zihlala zisetshenziswa ezindaweni ezahlukene zomphakathi, ezifana nemfundo, ezokuxhumana, kanye nezokuphatha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunezilimi ezingekho emthethweni okuvamise ukuthi iningi lazo kube yizilimi zezigodi, ezifana neKhoekhoegowab, !Orakobab, Xirikobab, N|uuki, ǃXunthali, Khwedam, IsiHlubi, IsiBhaca, IsiLala, IsiNhlangwini, IsiMpondo, IsiMpondomise, KheLobedu, SePulana, HiPai, SeKutswe, SeṰokwa, SeHananwa, SiThonga, SiLaNgomane, SheKgalagari, XiRhonga, SeKopa, kanye nezinye. Lezi zilimi zidlala indima ebalulekile ekugcineni amasiko nemvelaphi yabantu.

Imizamo yokuthuthukisa izilimi

Imizamo yokuthuthukisa izilimi eNingizimu Afrika ihlanganisa izinhlelo eziningi ezibhekiswe ekugcineni nasekuthuthukiseni izilimi zomdabu, ukuze zihlale ziphila futhi zisetshenziswa kakhulu emiphakathini yasemakhaya nasemadolobheni. Njengoba izilimi zidlala indima enkulu ekuqondeni nasekugcineni amasiko, imfundo, nezazimboni, le mizamo ibalulekile ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi izizukulwane ezizayo zithola ulwazi lwamasiko nesiqalo esiqinile solimi lwazo lwebele.

Izikole zezilimi

Esinye sezindlela ezisemqoka kule mizamo wukusungulwa kwezikole zezilimi ezihlinzeka ngezifundo eziphathelene nezilimi zomdabu. Lezi zikole zisebenza njengendawo yokufundisa ulimi ngendlela ejulile, kanti zinikeza izifundo ezihlanganisa umlando, amasiko, nezinto ezenziwa ngolimi lwasekhaya. Ngokwesibonelo, eMpumalanga Kapa kunesikole esigxile ekufundiseni isiXhosa lapho izingane zifunda izinganekwane, izinkondlo, nokubhala izindaba ngolimi lwazo. Lokhu kwenza kube lula ukuthi ulwazi lwezilimi luphile futhi luhlomule, kanti futhi luqinisa isithunzi solimi emphakathini nasemphakathini jikelele.

Imikhosi yamasiko

Imikhosi yamasiko iyenye indlela ebalulekile yokuthuthukisa izilimi. Imicimbi efana neGrahamstown National Arts Festival eMakhanda (owake waba yiGrahamstown) inikeza ithuba lokuthi abantu abakhuluma izilimi ezahlukene babonise amasiko abo, izinkulumo, izinganekwane, kanye nemibhalo yomlomo. Imicimbi enjalo ayigcini nje ngokuthokozisa kodwa ibuye ifundise, inxenxe intsha ukuthi ithande futhi igcine izilimi zomdabu. Emikhosini enjalo, abantu bahlabelela, badanse, baxoxe izinganekwane ngolimi lwabo lwebele, okuqinisa isiko nelifa lamasiko.

Izinhlangano ezizimele kanye nezikaHulumeni

Izinhlangano ezizimele, noma ama-NGO, zidlala indima enkulu ekuthuthukiseni izilimi. Lezi zinhlangano zisebenzisana nemiphakathi, ohulumeni, nezinye izinhlangano ezizimele ukuthuthukisa izinhlelo zolimi. Zihlinzeka ngezinsiza ezifana nezinhlelo zokufundisa, izichazamazwi eziku-inthanethi, izinhlelo zokusebenza zeselula zokufunda ulimi, kanye nezifundo zokuqeqesha othisha. Isibonelo, iAfrican Languages Association of Southern Africa (ALASA) isebenza kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni izilimi zomdabu, ngokubamba imihlangano nezifundo zokucobelelana ngolwazi. Lokhu kunikeza ithuba elikhulu lokuthi abantu babe nentshisekelo ekufundeni nasekusetshenziseni ulimi lwabo, ngisho nalabo abahlala emadolobheni.

I-Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) iyinhlangano esemthethweni eyasungulwa nguhulumeni ngo-1995 ngenhloso yokukhuthaza, ukuvikela, nokuthuthukisa izilimi ezisemthethweni nezilimi zamasiko eNingizimu Afrika. I-PanSALB isebenza ngokusungula amaKhomishini Olimi ezifundazweni ezahlukene, ephenya izikhalo mayelana nokucwaswa kwezilimi, futhi ikhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kolimi ezikoleni, emaphephandabeni, nasemsebenzini kahulumeni. Le nhlangano ibalulekile ngoba iqinisekisa ukuthi izilimi eziningi zaseNingizimu Afrika zithola ukufinyelela okufanayo ezinkundleni zomphakathi.

Uhlelo lwe-SWiP (South African Wikimedians Indigenous Languages Project) luhlanganyela nezinhlangano ezifana neSADiLaR (South African Centre for Digital Language Resources), i-Wikipedia, kanye nePanSALB, ngenhloso yokwengeza okuqukethwe ngolimi lomdabu ku-Wikipedia. Lolu hlelo lufundisa amalungu omphakathi ukuthi bangabhala kanjani izindatshana ezisemqoka ngolimi lwabo, ngaleyo ndlela kwandiswe ulwazi olutholakala ngolimi lwabo emhlabeni wedijithali. Lokhu kudlala indima enkulu ekusizeni intsha ukuthi ifunde ulimi lwayo ngendlela yesimanjemanje, ikakhulukazi ngesikhathi lapho ubuchwepheshe budlala indima enkulu ekufundeni.

Ngokubuka konke, le mizamo eyehlukahlukene isiza ekutheni izilimi zomdabu zingalahleki, zihlomule, futhi ziqhakambise amasiko abantu baseNingizimu Afrika. Ngenxa yokuthi ulimi luyingxenye ebalulekile yesazisi somuntu, imizamo efana nale iqinisekisa ukuthi ulimi luhlala luphila, lukhulunywa izizukulwane ezizayo, futhi luphinde lube ingxenye yesisekelo senhlalakahle yezwe.