Friday Nyimbili, Mubita Namuyamba-Kabika and Tembo Beatrice, The Use of Mobile Phone Related Terminologies among the Tumbuka People of Lundazi District of Zambia

Abstract

Word building and formation is a continuous process
which allows languages to grow and maintain their
linguistic value. A language with majority speakers
always undergoes language maintenance while the
language of the minority speakers undergoes language
death. Tumbuka being a language of the majority
speakers in Lundazi district seems to have maintained
itself through lexical building. This paper discusses
how the Information Communication and Technology

(ICT) phone related lexical terminologies have been
integrated in the Tumbuka language of Lundazi district
of Zambia. Through group discussions and interviews
with the local people regarding phone usage, the study
revealed that Tumbuka language has relied on the
process of borrowing and loan translation or calque
to develop its vocabulary in phone technology. The
two processes are the most common processes even
the English and other language adopted to build its
vocabulary. In conclusion, Tumbuka language of
Lundazi has updated its ICT phone terminologies
through the normal word building process which
meets the required international processes of linguistic
word formation. The study recommends that many
words be investigated on how they are being used in
all ICT related usable gadgets and other sectors like
health and engineering to enable the country build a
linguistic dictionary in the Zambian languages for use
in our country.