Article published In:
PragmaticsVol. 14:1 (2004) ► pp.55–68
Cognitive efficiency
The Sheng phenomenon in Kenya
Sheng is a variety of Kiswahili that is spoken by young persons, especially from the economically challenged neighbourhoods of Nairobi. The emergence and pervasiveness of the idiom can be explained by cognitive as well as social parameters. Confronted with several languages in Nairobi, a young mind is likely to weave a compromise idiom from the linguistic inputs available. This might be an explanation for the emergence of Sheng. Once acquired, the language could now be used to include or exclude. This discussion attempts to provide an overview of the linguistic structure of Sheng and hypothesize on reasons for its emergence.
Keywords: Cognitive efficiency, Sheng, Social cohesion, Social identity, Kiswahili
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.
References
Abdulaziz, Mohammed H., and K. Osinde
(1997)
Sheng and English: Development of mixed codes among the urban youth in Kenya. International Journal of Sociology of Language 1251: 45-63. 
Bleek, W
(1862–69) A comparative grammar of South African languages. Cape Town: Solomon.
Contini-Morava, E
(1989) Discourse pragmatics and semantic categorization: The case of negation and tense-aspect with special reference to Swahili. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. BoP.
Fodor, J
(1986) La modularité de l=esprit. Paris: Minuit.
Githiora, C
(2002)
Sheng: Peer language, Swahili dialect or emerging pidgin? Journal of African Cultural Studies 15.2: 159-181.
Ireri-Mbaabu
(1996) Language policy in East Africa. Nairobi: General Printers.
Kang’ethe, F
(1999) La pragmatique des temps verbaux du swahili. Mémoire de D.E.S., Université de Genčve, manuscrit, 63p.
(2003a) A contrastive reading of temporal-aspectual morphemes in Swahili. In K.M. Jaszczolt, & K. Turner (eds), Meaning through language contrast. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, pp. 117-125.
(2003b) Lecture pragmatique des morphčmes temporels du swahili. Thčse doctorale, Université de Genčve. 292p.
Kearns, K
(2000) Semantics. London: Macmillan Press Ltd.
Martinet, A
(1980) Eléments de linguistique française. Paris: Armand-Colin.
Moeschler, J
(2000) Le modčle des inférences directionnelles. Cahiers de linguistique française 221: 57-100.
Moga, J., Danfee
(2004) Sheng dictionary: 5 th edition. Nairobi. Ginseng Publishers.
Mohammed, M.A
(2001) Modern Swahili grammar. Nairobi: Sunlitho Ltd.
Nzunga, M.P.K
(1994) La situation linguistique au Kenya. Thčse doctorale, Université de Toulouse le Mirail.
Okoth-Okombo, D
(2001) Language policy: The forgotten parameter in African development and governance strategies. Inaugural lecture, Nairobi: University of Nairobi Press.
Phillipson, D.W
(2003) Language and farming dispersals in sub-saharan Africa, with particular reference to the bantu-speaking peoples. In P. Bellwood, & C. Renfrew (eds), Examining the farming/language dispersal hypothesis. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research.
Waihiga, G
(1999) Sarufi fafanuzi ya Kiswahili. Nairobi: Longhorn Publishers (Kenya) Ltd.
Cited by
Cited by 4 other publications
Kago, Grace & Mohamed Cissé
2022. Using African Indigenous Languages in Science Engagement to Increase Science Trust. Frontiers in Communication 6 
Kamwangamalu, Nkonko M
2019. Language ideologies and practices in Africa. Journal of Sociolinguistics 23:5 ► pp. 543 ff.
Kanana Erastus, Fridah & Hilda Kebeya
2018. Functions of Urban and Youth Language in the New Media: The Case of Sheng in Kenya. In African Youth Languages, ► pp. 15 ff.
Meierkord, Christiane
2011. Chapter 2. U r ma treasure bila measure. Identity construction in Kenya’s multilingual spaces. In Postcolonial Linguistic Voices, ► pp. 25 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 12 april 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.