Archiving of Indigenous Languages with Specific Reference to IsiXhosa

Abstract

It cannot be nullified that the advancement of isiXhosa will not be actualised without the employment of information science as a discipline and practice for the very reason that archiving is a significant component that can lead to visible solutions to the conundrum that has recurrently engulfed this language. Divorcing information science from isiXhosa, or vice versa, is a decaying and deliberate endeavour that delays the transformation of isiXhosa as an indigenous South African language. This conceptual article pivots on personal experiences through a qualitative research inquiry to underline some of the principal challenges that impede the archiving of indigenous South African languages with specific reference to isiXhosa. The objective is to sensitise regarding the preservation and protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the amaXhosa community for future generations and to guarantee its recognition and revitalisation. The study’s literature review, among other components, indicates that challenges concerning the archiving of indigenous South African languages, including isiXhosa, are advanced by languages whose stature is least known or unknown entirely. Ultimately, the principal argument underscores that language archiving through information science is an area of contention. The principal recommendation is that the advancement of the isiXhosa language requires a multi-collaborative effort in a bid to advance its intellectualisation. The closing remarks indicate the necessity to continue the discourse beyond the aims and objectives of this conceptual article.