A stylistic analysis of Oshiwambo wedding songs in a book entitled Oshipapa Moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi
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Date
2024
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyse the stylistic features that are employed in
Oshiwambo wedding songs in Oshapapa moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi. The data was
collected through a desktop research by analysing documented wedding songs in the
aforementioned book. No participants were involved in the collection of data in this study.
This study used a qualitative research approach that allowed the researcher to stylistically
analyse Oshiwambo wedding songs. The study employed the theory of stylistic criticism
as presented by Ngara (1985) and the meaning theory of Leech (1981) as the theoretical
framework. The theory of stylistic criticism accounted for both linguistic and literary
aspects of oral poetry. By employing this theory, the researcher analysed the stylistic
features that are employed in Oshiwambo wedding songs in the book titled Oshapapa
moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi at the different levels of language. The theory of
meaning deals with semantics as a branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words
in language. The theory assisted the researcher to identify how meaning was conveyed in
Oshiwambo wedding songs.The study revealed that the stylistic features are appropriate
for the Ovawambo tribe as the stylistic features help Ovawambo to deliver the intended
messages effectively. The study identified rhyme, dialects and onomatopoeia as stylistic
devices under phonology. The study further revealed the lexical devices such as
borrowing, repetition, anaphora and parallelism. Syntax is another language aspects which
is discussed in this study; the identified devices that are discussed in this language aspect
are: sentence length; types of sentences; questions as stylistic features; rhetorical question,
hortative sentences and refrain. At semantic level, the study identified simile, metaphor,
euphemism, anti-thesis and enjambment as the stylistic and linguistic features that were
analysed in Oshiwambo wedding songs. This study contributes to the study of literature,
specifically a stylistic analysis of Oshiwambo. The knowledge acquired through this study
could be utilised by other scholars as literature in the same field of specialisation. This
study, therefore, recommends that more research should be conducted on Oshiwambo
wedding songs, particularly on their functions, performance and paralinguistic features
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Degree of Masters of Arts in African Languages
Keywords
Oshiwambo, Namibia, University of Namibia, Wedding songs, Stylistics, Marriage