International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Studies

Volume 4 Issue 9 ǁ Nov. 2019

ISSN: 2582-1601
www.ijahss.com

A Classificatory Study of Siswati Idioms

J.J Thwala
University of Mpumalanga, School of Development Studies, Mbombela

Abstract: This is a classificatory study of Siswati idioms that is informed by functional and communicative
approaches. Idioms are one of the major part-perspectives of folk sayings that are fundamental in any language
discourse. The dual purpose of an idiom, namely; the primary level of meaning and the secondary level of
meaning are the central mode of operation of this study. The shift of idiomatic meaning depicts a connotative
sense. An idiom can however, be a word, phrase or clause that reflects explicit or implicit meaning. The
classificatory view entails various parts of speech, namely: substantives, predicative, qualificative, descriptive
and connectives. Idioms are examined by looking at their origins, structure, syntactical patterns and semantic
applications. Their scientific observation accomplishes a complete application of research processes and
theoretical underpinnings. Idioms are part of indigenous knowledge system, traditional and heritage. Their
focus is on developing sensitivity to a special use of language in a more figurative, literary and symbolic
manner. They further broader the horizons of understanding cultural beliefs, principles and ideologies.
Key Words: connotative sense, folk saying, indigenous knowledge system, semantic applications, syntactical
patterns.

I. Introduction
Folk saying are made up of proverbs, idioms and riddles. They are oral or verbal lore aspects that are as
old as human folk. Since the dawn of man it has been a struggle to understand the environment, skills and the
knowledge passed from one generation to another through oral means called oral literature. The society relies on
the experience of its old members as the foundation on which to build what is recreated, innovated and coined.
Since the birth of human race, our unique ability to pass on our knowledge of the world, our experience in life
and our achievements to our offspring has enabled our young not only to survive but to prosper.
Ruse and Hopton (1992:206) describe oral literature as follows:

…is a spoken and not written down. It developed before literature and was being passed from one
community to another by traveling paddlers, singers and rites or passed down from one generation to the next.
Each story, poem or song went through many changes since it was not fixed form and imagination and skill of
the actor or singer had enormous influence on the script.

Vail and White (1999:132) cite Axtell James from the study of European Relations with the Native Americans
in the Colonial Era where they state:
An oral culture is intensely communal…knowledge and truth are not an individual matter so much as a
corporate position. Accordingly, oral man psychologically faces outward, toward community from which he
derives the meaning and veracity of his thought: o break with social values is to feel the shame of the popular
disapproval.

They also emphasise that oral literature is owned by the whole society or community, not by an individual. Vail
and White (1999:132) further state that:
By some token, oral knowledge is relatively authoritarian, depending on tribal consensus rather than
personal analysis. Meaning is not a simple term to define because of its peculiar nature.

O’ Sullivan et al (1998) suggest the following:

Meaning is the product or result of communication. The content level refers to factual information
about the topic or message. The relation level determines how the participants understand their relationship.

Meaning plays a significant role in idioms. It can be looked at literary or figuratively, denotatively or
connotatively, but ultimately reveal a communicative process which is linked by communicator-recipient or
encoder-decoder. An idiom is expression which has a distinct, specific meaning of its own, often incompatible

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A Classificatory Study Of Siswati Idioms

with or even contrary to the individual meaning of words which composed it. The word, idiom derive from the
Greek word idios, meaning private, peculiar to oneself. It is a form of expression or a phrase peculiar to a
language and approval by the usage of that language, and it is often has a signification other than its
grammatical or logical one. (Nitschke, 2010).

II. Research Methodology

The study is informed by both functional and commutative approaches Fiske, (1989) demonstrates that
in all languages semantic learning depends on the cognitive development and that sequences of development are
determined by semantic complexity than structural complexity. The emphasis is on two pacesetters to language
development with the poles of function and of form: (1) on the functional level, the development is paced by
growth of conceptual and communicative capacities, operating with innate schemas of cognition; and (2) on the
formal level, the development is paced by the growth of perceptual and information-processing capacities,
operating innate schemas of grammar.
Communication is regarded as a combination of acts, a series of elements with purpose and intent. It is
not a mere event, but it is a functional, purposive and designed act to bring about some effect and change,
however subtle or unobservable on the environment of hearers and speakers. Communication is a series of
communicative acts or speech acts for both the production and comprehension of an utterance.
Benati and Angelovska (2016:68) contend that functional approach view language as a means of
communication. It describe language as an interactive and interpersonal phenomenon. The term function has
been variously interpreted by Lutrin and Pincus (2007) who provided one of the best expositions of language
functions, used the term to mean the purposive nature of communication and outlined different functions of
language.
The instrumental functions serves to manipulate the environment, to cause certain events to happen. It
communicates acts which bring about particular condition. The personal function allows a speaker to express
feelings, emotions and personality reactions. A person’s individuality is usually characterised by his or her use
of the personal function of communication. In the personal nature of language, cognition, affect and culture all
interact in ways that have not yet been explored. The heuristic function involves language used to acquire
knowledge, to learn about the environment. Heuristic functions are conveyed in questions-answers form. Inquiry
is a heuristic method of eliciting and differentiating the representations of reality from others. The imaginative
function serves as creative imaginary systems or ideas. It uses a language for the sheer pleasure of using it as
language of poetry, tongue twisters and puns. Idioms are indigenous expressions whose meaning cannot be
ordinary deduced or inferred from knowledge of the individual words that make them up. They are basic to a
language and have the stylistic effect of giving it a characteristic of its mode of expression. Baldick (1990:106)
defines an idioms as:
A phrase of grammatically construction that cannot be translated literary into another language
because its meaning is not equivalent to that of its component words. By extension, the term is sometimes
applied more loosely to any style or manner of writing that is a characteristic of particular group movement.

Trask (1997:109) sees an idiom as follows:

…an expression whose meaning cannot be straightforwardly guessed from the meanings of the words
in it.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (1997:571) defines idiom as:

…a phrase which means something different from the meaning of the separate word from which it is
formed.

Ruse and Hopton (1992:145) provide the following as a definition of an idiom:

An expression with a meaning that is different from the meanings of the individual words. The meaning
of an idiom has to be learned as a set of words. The usage of a language that is correct and natural to people
who speak it as their first language.

Idioms can be based on animals, humans and their behaviour. They originate from the folk narratives and other
folk sayings. Cuddon (1979:321) defines an idiom as follows:
A form of expression, construction or phrase peculiar to a language and often possessing a meaning
other than its grammatical or logical one.

Guma (1967:66) describes the structure of idioms as follows:

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Unlike proverbs, idioms do not have a fixed and regular form to which they adhere at all times. They are
changeable and are seldom, if ever, used in their basic form. They are based on a predicate, which is built on a
particular verb stem and which may be found associated with large number of idioms.

He further indicates that the main differences between an idiom and proverb lies in their main functions, by
highlighting the didactic, moral implications and basic truth or wisdom with general bearing on life.
The functions of idioms are nearly the same with those of proverbs. Our forefather used body parts,
animals and acts of human beings to construct idioms. They are used by young and old when they communicate
to each other. Idioms are phrase that say one thing, but mean something entirely different. Idioms as lexical
items have two main implications. They are words that are metaphorical in nature (Harris and Hodges 1995).
An idiom is an expression whose overall figurative meaning cannot be derived from the meaning of its parts.
However, there are many idioms that allows syntactic operations without losing their idiomatic meaning. There
idioms are syntactically flexible.

Idioms incorporating identifying copulatives

Idioms Meaning
Kuba yinyoka (to be a snake) To be untrustworthy
Kuba lilulwane (be a bat) To sit in the fence
Kuba yinkhukhu (to be a chicken) To go to bed early
Kuba yingwenya (to be a crocodile) Powerful, famous, of many vitures.
Kuba liphela (to be a cockroch) To be very greedy
Kuba yingwenyama ( to be a lion) To be brave and very strong
Kuba lingce (to be a vulture) To be voracious
Kuba sikhova (to be an owl) To be lonely or to like to go out at night (commonly used for
people who are doing night duties)
Kuba litje (to be a stone) To be hard nut to crack or be very slow at understanding
Kuba yimvu (to be a sheep) To be humble
Kuba ngumzwilili (to be a canary) To be a good singer

An identifying copulative is an aspect of part of the speech that is noted for its functional domain of
classification, recognition and classification. Taljaard and Bosch (1988:91) define copulative as follows:
A non-verbal predicate or a construction which is not informed from a verb stem, but functions as a
verb the sentence.

It is, however, noted that the copula construction can be formed from a variety of words or stems such as
quantifiers, adverbial forms, adnominal stems and substantives.
There are living and non-living phenomena that are figuratively and copulatively used to give a specific
meaning. Their animate and inanimate functions, behaviour, procedures and modes of operations are
noteworthy.
Inyoka (a snake) is associated with untrustworthiness.
Lilulwane (a bat) is associated with indecisiveness.
Inkhukhu (a chicken) refers to early sleeping in the cited idiom.
Ingwenya (a crocodile) depicts a powerful person.
Liphela (a cockroach) is used to mean greediness.
Ingwenyama (a lion) is an animal that symbolizes to be strong, energetic and brave. It is also referred to as a
king of all animals.
Sikhova (an owl) is a bird that sleeps during the day and go out at night. People are likened to an owl if they
behave or resemble that life.
Litje (a stone) it depicts to be hurtles and callous.
Imvu (a sheep) is associated with a humble and always a cool person.
Umzwilili (a canary) is a good singing bird. Any good and melodious singer is likened to a canary.

Idioms incorporating infinitive formatives

Idiom Meaning
Kubeka libala (to put a mark) To make a false accusation (with an aim of
stigmatising)
Kucela emehlo (to ask for eyes) To show off
Kucela indlela (to ask for the road) To ask to be released to go

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Kucela indlebe (to ask for ears) To ask for attention

Kuyibamba ishisa ( to catch it while it is To go away in a journey withought delay
burning)
Kukhotsa iluma (to lick and bite) To praise and critisize in the same breath
Kutfota ubekelela (to collect and pack To do things hurriedly
firewood at the same time)
Kupheka utfulula ( to cook and dish up) To give somebody no rest

The verbs that are used are the following: beka (to put) and cela (to ask for). They are used as a nouns kubeka
and kucela to put forth the meanings. They precede the nouns that make them give the comprehensive primary
and secondary meanings.

Idioms incorporating identifying copulatives

Idiom Meaning
Kuhlekwa yinyoni (to be laughed by birds) To be a laughing stock
Kukhahlelwa yimbongolo/yinshe esifubeni (to be kicked by To be bad in keeping secrets
a donkey/ostrich on the chest)

The two selected idioms use animate phenomena, tinyoni (the birds), imbongolo (donkey) and inshe (ostrich) to
bring about their meanings. The selected animals are preceded by the nouns that are formed from the verbs,
hlekwa (be laughed) and khahlelwa (be kicked). This type of copulative is characterised by descriptive language
which is mostly expressive, illustrative and explanatory.

Idioms Incorporating Noun and Noun

Noun and noun Meaning
Inyoka nesicoco (a snake and a frog) Enemies
Ligundvwane nelikati (a mouse and a cat) Enemies
Ingwe nengwenyama (a tiger and a lion) Opponents

The animals are selected for their characteristics and behaviour. The two animals are paired to make metaphoric
phrases. They can be used as expressions to denote both primary and secondary meanings.

Idioms Incorporating Possessives and Nouns

Kuba nenyoni (to be a abird) To be scared
Kuba nesibindzi (to have liver) To be brave
Tinyembeti takhwini (tears of Victoria) Liquor
Inkhani yeselesele (the check of a frog) Too be stubborn
Kuba nesandla (to have a hand) To be bully
Emabala engwe (the colours of a tiger) A very brief talk
Umsila wengwe (the tail of a tiger) Summons
Sandla semfene (the hand of a monkey) Left-handed
Ematse emphungane (the saliva of a fly) Very slight drizle
Emacandza elituba (the eggs of a dove) Two children
Kudla kwendlebe (the food of ears) Good news or good music
Kuba nelitfumbu lelidze (to have a long interstine) To eat to much
Kungabi nesifuba (not to have a chest) To be unable to keep secret
Kuba nemlomo (to have a mouth) To be talkative
Kungabi netindlebe (not to have ears) Unable to pay attention
Kuba neminwe lemidze (to have the long fingers) To be a thief
Kuba nemehlo (to have eyes) To be very cautious
Kube neliso lelibukhali ( to have a sharp eyes) To be very watchful
Kuba nemsila (to have tail) To always forget to shut the door behind you when
you enter or leave the house.
Kuba nelitsambo (to have a bone) To be tall

The idioms that are selected for the above-mentioned section depict sacredness, braveness and unbecoming
practices such as theft, gossip and talkative. Imagery play a vital role in idioms or idiomatic expression because
of the extension of the meaning and content-bound dimensions. The words that form an idiom stimulate and
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delight imagination. Although they are ordinary words used in prose or everyday speech, but in the context of
poetry or figurative language.

III. Discussion
Idioms are specific forms of expressions which are used during formal and informal communication.
They are imaginative and creative forms that explain certain experiences, aspects of life and thematic variations
as means of effective communication. Idioms are the aspects of a language that promote a broad creativity
concept which concerns thought process, aptitude, psyche and intelligence. Fluency and proficiency in a
language discourse is determined and measured through the idioms. They are colourful linguistic spectrum of
expression. Idiomatic constructions show the following:
 Semantic characteristics.
 Structural peculiarities and irregularities.
 Constraints or restrictions on their lexicogrammatical behaviour.
 Conventional expressions that belong to a grammar of given language.
 Fulfil specific discourse-communicative functions (Everaet, et al 2014).

Idioms play a vital role in any communication which is highlighted by Steinberg (2011) when she broadly
defines communication as follows:
A verbal and non-verbal communication, formal and informal communication intentional and
unintentional communication.

Idioms play most important role in Siswati language. These expressions are vigorous, graphic and natural. They
add beauty and effect in everyday language. If idioms are used with skill, they enhance artistic value. Doke and
Vilakazi (1990:202) holds the following view concerning the idiom:
The term idiom commonly signifies a structural form or form of expression peculiar to a language, and
one which reflects genius of the language and psychological workings of the speaker of such language.

An idiom is an impressive expression which is peculiar to a language if construed literally may be meaningless
or at least not have the meaning that the words convey. Nkabinde (1968:69) defines an idiom as form of
expression that is peculiar to a language. He says that the idiom has a structural phrasal pattern words which are
used together. The meaning of such pattern of words is completely different from the lexical meaning. The
pattern of words used in idiom generally consists of an introductory word which is infinitive application of the
root morpheme.

Seidl and Memoradie (1978:4) give the following view on a specific folk saying:
Idiom is a member of words which, taken together, mean something different from the individual words
of idiom when they stand alone.

From the aforementioned definition, we deduce that the syntactic structures of an idiom is a lateralization of the
underlying meaning. It seems true that idioms are decorated by the rhetorical devices. In Swati language
discourse, the idiom is strongly reflected in tropes. Figures of speech are also defined as deviations from the
ordinary use of words with a view to increasing or emphasizing effect. The idioms are the vivid expressions that
are using figurative language to express a unitary meaning. They are component parts of speech that are
syntactically and semantically analysed.
Ntsanwisi (1968:2) defines idioms as a structural form, phrasal pattern of words which is peculiar to
the genus of a grammatical structure, accepted by usage and the meaning of which can be logically ascertained
from its components parts. Particular pairs of nouns and verbs, rhetorical expressions and copulative
constructions are used to express the specific ideas.
Idioms appear as isolated lexical units. They are linguistic expressions that involve metaphors, metonyms, pairs
of words, simile, sayings, phrasal verbs, grammatical constructions, and they are assumed to be a matter of
language alone. (Rasinsky, et al 2007).
Idioms are phrasal or clausal constructions that are basic to a language. They are lively, well delineated
and effective expressions. They are characterised by structural and unstructured constructions. They are phrasal
pattern of words which allow rearrangement of their component elements or syntactic alteration. Idioms are
phrases that are modified addition of formatives and words. There are idioms that are associated with the
proverbs, especially those proverbs that are firmly embedded in colloquial speech. The function of Swati idioms
is evident by being instrumental in communicative acts during any language discourse.

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A Classificatory Study Of Siswati Idioms

IV. Conclusion
It is, however, noted that an idiom is made-up of one, two, three or four words. Idioms are devoid of
regular, fixed and static form to which they adhered to at all times. They are indigenous or folk saying
expressions that are usually based on predicates which are built on verb stems. They are basically concerned
with actions rather than symbolic or metaphorical representations. It is also noticed that in their form, they are
based on their infinitive form of verb stem. Their differences from the proverbs are that they are partially
syntactically constructed to assume various structural forms. Thus, the study of idioms is worthwhile as great
awareness and understanding of idiomatic language that enhance readers understanding of the texts.

V. Recommendations
The study of idiomatic expressions is essential in any language because it enables the speaker to
express his thoughts, gives life and colour to his or her speech and writing. Idioms are the real soul of a
language and gives it illustrious, notable and distinguished character. More could be done in our schools to
promote the systematic study of idioms than leaving to the students themselves to acquire incidentally a
knowledge of them from what they read or chance to hear in conversation. It is primarily to provide the means
for such a course of study that this article has been compiled, and the manner in which the material has been
assembled and presented specially adapts it to such a purpose. The informative or presentation lessons on idioms
are needed to enhance revision, appreciation, illustration, demonstration and explanation.

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