Contact induced change in Bena (G63) – A study of ‘swahilization’ in a Tanzanian vernacular language

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe how Swahili is influencing the vocabulary of Bena (G63), one of the vernacular languages of Tanzania. The paper is written within the field of contact linguistics and relies on theories on how the linguistic outcome of the dis-empowered language is affected in an intense and unequal language contact situation. The investigation is primarily based on data collected from a field trip to the Bena speaking community in March 2012, supported by the Nordic Africa Institute. Several different methods of linguistic fieldwork where used in gathering the data. The results show that the societal setting of Tanzania, where Swahili enjoys a much higher prestige than Bena, has rendered in a situation where Bena has been ‘swahilized’. There is an extended set of loanwords in Bena borrowed from Swahili. These borrowings have started to influence the structure of the language as well. However, the investigation also shows that Bena speakers exhibit innovativeness in how they integrate loanwords. The vast bulk of adopted words seem to fill the function of expanding the vocabulary rather than to replace already existing terms. This reflects vitality still in Bena, despite the pressure from Swahili.