Abstract
M.A.
Zulu, as one of the widely spoken languages in South Africa is subjected to change
in these changing times. The intensified exposure of Zulu native speakers to the
fields of politics and technology, amongst others, have caused the speakers of this
language to accommodate specific linguistic needs in this regard to enable them to
communicate on issues pertaining to these fields.
This mini-dissertation sets out to investigate the various ways in which the Zulu
language have been adapted to cater for these communicative needs. In order to
investigate this adaptation of Zulu systematically, the first step was to define
meaning, and hence discuss meaning in terms of the seven types of meaning as
distinguished by Leech.
Thereafter the various modes of language change such as codeswitching,
borrowing and coinage have been discussed with reference to the fields of politics
and technology. Hereafter, a discussion on the extension of meaning follows
whereby reference is made to figures of speech such as metaphor. Ambiguity,
polysemy and homonymy, are also discussed.
In the final chapter the change of meaning is discussed concentrating on aspects
such as the causes and consequences of semantic change