IsiXhosa as a preservative instrument of culture: A consideration of ethnolinguistics

Abstract

This ethnographic article, which is in the arena of ethnolinguistics in a South African milieu, ventures to underline how and why an indigenous language – isiXhosa – plays a significant role as a preservative instrument of culture in the context of the amaXhosa. This is against the logic that isiXhosa and its culture have methodically suffered subjugation as a direct impact of apartheid, and therefore it stands to reason that an inter-relationship between the two components is recurrently underlined. Ethnography as a conceptual framework is applied to examine the scholarly debates, while qualitative inquiry is appreciated for its ability to be flexible in research. An evaluation of existing literature in ethnolinguistics is carried out in a bid to recognise the achievements by other scholars, while an observable gap is outlined. Consequently, it is principally argued that isiXhosa embodies an extraordinary influence in the preservation of culture and heritage in the South African milieu. Closing remarks are presented with the anticipation that future scholarly debates will continue to contest these phenomena.