Taalkeuse as identiteitsmerker in die rolprent Tsotsi

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The remarkable story of Tsotsi as a gangster in the movie Tsotsi offers several examples of language variation and of language choice as a marker of identity. The situations and contexts portrayed in the movie define, to some extent, the choices of language or variety speakers make. Context-specific factors playing a determining role include gender, purpose, geographical location, social class, and age. Tsotsi, the main character, is a gangster living in Sophiatown, a township outside Johannesburg. The term 'tsotsi generally refers to one who is well-dressed and stylish, but with an undercurrent of dangerous adventure; the character portrayed by Tsotsi in the movie is a self-made man, successful in terms of township gangster culture. The movie traces six days in the life of this young hoodlum, who rediscovers his humanity through various challenges and personal relationships in his surroundings; he finds dignity and the capacity to love through having to take care of a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car hijacking episode, through his friendship with the young woman he forces to take care of the baby, and ultimately through confronting haunting memories of his past. Tsotsi's mother tongue is Sotho, but Flaaitaal is his language of choice in certain contexts, marking his identity as a tsotsi. This study considers the language variation typical of South Africa, as exemplified by the language choices made by the various characters in the movie. An analysis is offered of the language choices which play a role in defining the identities of the characters in various contexts, such as the use of Flaaitaal by the gangsters among themselves, who switch to Sotho when the more socially acceptable aspects of their identities should come to the fore, and the use of Sotho by the white police captain while interviewing the Sotho parents of the kidnapped baby. It is this function of language choice as a marker of identity that is the focus of the present work.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University