Linguistic Versus Geographical Boundaries: a Lexical Semantic Assessment of Luhya Dialects

Abstract

This study provides a mutual intelligibility assessment of Luhya dialects focusing on Lumarama, Luwanga, Lushisa and Lubukusu. This is through a lexical semantic approach using Johannes Schmidt’s Wave Theory. The main objective of this study was to describe the dialect continua across Luhya dialects using the four sampled here and determine the impact of these dialect continua. The study revealed a high level of mutual intelligibility across these Luhya dialects studied here which is the key feature of dialect continua. This mutual intelligibility, it was established, is motivated by various social, cultural, technological and religious factors that bring the speakers of these dialects together. The phenomenon is strongly seen around dialect boundaries and has both positive and negative ramifications. Positively, the mutual intelligibility enhances interactions in various sectors such as schools, religious places, economic set ups like markets or social gatherings like in weddings, funerals and sports. Negatively, there arises cases of linguistic discrimination especially to the speakers whose dialect is not clear as it results from the contacts. Finally, the study makes recommendations key of them being: carrying out a study to fully account for and describe the picture across the dialects involving the other linguistic areas of interest (phonological, morphological and even pragmatic). This will be helpful in determining and linguistically fully describing this dialect continua picture among Luhya dialects even as the same is academically documented for future reference.