Loanword adaptation in Boro-Ukwala dialect of Dholuo: a case of borrowing from Lumarachi,Lunyala and Kiswahili

Abstract

This study seeks to investigate and establish loanwords in the Boro- Ukwala (B-U) dialect of Dholuo from the Luhya group of Lumarachi and Lunyala B who neighbour the speakers of B-U dialect of Dholuo. The study further investigate s and establishes the adaptation strategies a loanword undergoes from the Luhya dialects of Lumarachi and Lunyala so that it is adapted into the B-U of Dholuo. It also looks at the adaptation strategies a loanword undergoes from Kiswahili so as to be accommodated into the B-U dialect of Dholuo. The study ado pts the Source-Similarity model of loanword adaptation which was founded by Smith (2009) which stresses on identity between the perceived form and the spoken form. The study uses the research method s of interview and questionnaires to collect data from the respondents who are the native speakers of B-U dialect of Dholuo . Data is further collected from the native speakers of the Kisumu South Nyanza dialect of Dholuo and the native speakers of sister languages of Dholuo like Padhola, Lango and Acholi who are given a list of words to give the word equivalents in their language for comparative analysis. Data is also collected from the native speaker of Lunyala and Lumarachi. For comparative analysis data is also collected from the other Luhya dialects of Logooli, samia and Wanga. The major finding is that there are loanwords in B-U from Lunyala and Lumarachi. The loanwords have to undergo various adaptation strategies so as to be accommodated into the B-U dialect of Dholuo