Categorization of body parts in Dholuo

Abstract

Abstract The embodiment hypothesis holds that human cognition and mental representations are influenced by the body and its physical interaction with the world. Research on the representation of the human body in language and how it is divided/categorized into parts and subsections is thus vital in comprehending how language communities perceive the body and how it is viewed within its cultural context. This paper investigates how the body is categorized in Dholuo, a Nilotic language spoken primarily in Kenya, East Africa. Dholuo is an understudied language with limited research in linguistics, particularly in cognitive linguistics. This study pioneers the exploration of the body-part categorization system in Dholuo by providing a comprehensive overview of body-part classification within the language. The objective is to elucidate the theoretical implications of this system, particularly emphasizing the relationship between language and culture. The study also explores how culture significantly influences the conceptualization and usage of language, particularly concerning body-part vocabulary.