WHAT is vocal but non-verbal? This title may be misleading.
Some people may disagree with it altogether. If somebody were to ask me: “Did you see the aeroplane that flew across the city this morning?” and I mumble, “I-i-i“ in agreement that “I-i” is quite vocal, that is, you have used your voice, but in a mute and mumbled fashion without a real word coming out. You could say “Yes” and, for our purpose “yes” is verbal, yet “I-i-“ is non-verbal, but vocal. That will be the meaning of the terms in this discussion .
There will be many in-betweens. If my son tells me that he came first in the 20m race, in English I will exclaim, “Wow! That’s great.”
Is wow! vocal but non-verbal or obviously verbal?
We shall use the vocal symbol “I-i-i” to represent a wide range of sounds in Ndebele perharps with the widest (greatest) number of different meanings.
It is said differently each time a different meaning is intended:
- To communicate agreement (affirmation). Did you take your tablets this morning? “I-i-i”, that is , yes I did.
- To signify disapproval — to say No. “Mama, may I go with Fikile , please?”
-“ I-i-i” that is, no you may not.
- To express pleasure — how nice, how beautiful:
– I-i-i, this sweet melon is very nice. – I-i-i, look at this dress . How beautiful! – I-i,i-i,i-i,i-i. The dance is simply enjoyable. Kuzwa, ibambe mfana!
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
- To express pain. Ungakhubeka kube buhlungu uthi, “I-i-i.”
Somebody is groaning in pain because they are sick. It may be a high-pitched I-i-i or a subdued one, but whatever it is, it does communicate that somebody is sick. In terms of communication, the Ndebele hearer easily makes the difference between the I-i-i of being pricked by a thorn and that of groaning from a stomach ache.
The vocal i? said (uttered) as a single syllable signifies a question, why not? What is wrong? Mina kangisayi emthimbeni wakoNungu: I . . .? That is, why now are you not going?
The meaning of the I-i-i vocal sound is communicated by the manner this sound is made. What is its sound in the following cases (as the Ndebele would say it to convey the intended meaning): “I am burning, the candle wax has fallen on my thigh.” “You don’t want to eat today, why?” “She is very ill, listen to her.” “The boys were fighting and pushing each other.” “No, no, no, I cannot agree with that suggestion. It’s unfair.” “Yes , this honey is nice. Try it.” “Look, look how many those birds are! So many!” “Ngithe kangifuni bo, kanti kalingizwa yini?” “Wena mntwana suka lapho. Ungahlali phezu kwengiga.” “I-hi-i-i. Utsho njalo? Kusasa ngizakubona usubuya usuzongincenga . I-hi-i-i. Suka lapha ngizakumukula, sithuthandini. This I-hi-i-i communicates a sense of despising the spoken to and implies superiority of the speaker.
What do the following communicate to you: mncwamu, hubu (amahewu, ihiqa, iyambazi), klubhu, nku , nka, dlithi, phohlo, phihli, manya, ntwa, mbubu, bhu (kubili, ubhula ingubo kumbe bhu usuza), mpthu, phu (ukunuka), gqitsha (ukweqa).
It is true that most of these utterances are fully verbal, but they communicate meaning in a similar way like the non-verbals. When mother calls, “Sonile lo!” and Sonile replies, “Hi-i-i” mother becomes completely upset.
But later when Sonile calls her aunt, “Babakazi!” and Babakazi responds, “Hi-i-i” , all is well, no offence. This communication is both cultural and relational.
A minor does not answer “Hi-i-i” to a parent or any senior; that is rude and disrespectful. But the “Hi-i-i” is acceptable and inoffensive when used by a senior to a junior. The same is true of “We-e!” Lately, a new form of response “Yebo-o!” is developing among young people. Father calls, “ Njabulo-o!” and Njabulo replies “Yebo-o!” some people use, “Hhe-e!” in place of “We-e!” which they consider crude.
You are sitting in a kitchen hut with the whole family and Gogo is narrating one of those captivating stories about Hare’s pranks.
Everybody is quietly paying attention and suddenly “Ntwi-i-!” From within Nhlanhla’s shorts. Everybody will lose attention. A new communication has occurred: Abanye bachila amakhala; abanye bathi “Mpthu”, abanye bathi, “A, wena!”, abanye bathi, “Hawu wena!”
Ubabakazi uthi, “Nhlanhla suka, hamb’osuzela khatshana, ha-a!” but Gogo kindly asks, “ Isisu senzenjani, mzukulu? Sibuhlungu?”
“Hi-i-i,” is the negative reply. How many of these non-verbal but voiced sounds have been used here? How effective is the communication that they give out?.
What is being said here is that effective communication can be verbal, like “Suka lapha siwulandini”.
This is the usual form of communication between human beings. Then there is body language like shaking your head to say, no. From this has developed sign language. Spitting on someone’s face in disgust — what language is that? Body language? Soon after independence a group of cadrés were sleeping spread across the floor in a room .
One top politician went in to wake them up because he had a message for them; they were fast asleep.
He opened his natural gun on them and sprayed them with his urine. What communication! And we are saying that another effective form is the vocal but non-verbal way like ukuncifela or ukububula.
The author would be grateful for suggestions as to how to represent some of those vocal sounds in writing. Mpthu is now pretty standard, but others are not.
