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The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jonas, Khanyiso |
| author2 | Bylund, Emanuel |
| author_browse | Bylund, Emanuel Jonas, Khanyiso |
| author_facet | Bylund, Emanuel Jonas, Khanyiso |
| author_sort | Jonas, Khanyiso |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132219 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:35.067Z |
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| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
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| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132219 The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing Jonas, Khanyiso Bylund, Emanuel Berghoff, Robyn Motinyane, Mantoa Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. Xhosa language -- Noun -- Study and teaching Categorization (Linguistics) English language -- Grammar, Comparative -- Xhosa Grammar, Comparative and general -- Noun Psycholinguistics -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Jonas, K. 2025. The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/66e9575c-7540-4b11-8386-bb67353175ed ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Categorising objects is central to the way humans interact efficiently with the world. The general assumption is that we are constantly engaged with the act of categorising: such as grouping entities into classes, using language. Research on how language interacts with thought aims to investigate which areas of cognition are affected by which linguistic distinctions and under which conditions. The main aim of the present study is to determine whether the grammatical category of noun classes in isiXhosa plays a role in cognitive processing. The current study therefore examines whether the differences in nominal classification between English (a non-noun class language) and isiXhosa (a noun-lass language) bring about cross-linguistic differences in categorisation preferences among speakers of English and isiXhosa. The studies presented in this dissertation comprised three distinct experiments aimed at investigating cognitive processes across different linguistic groups. In Experiment 1, adult speakers of English and isiXhosa were engaged in a triads-matching task, designed with three conditions where noun class salience was systematically manipulated to assess how they grouped objects based on given criteria. Experiment 2 replicated the structure of the first study but adjusted the participant demographic to include isiXhosa-speaking children and English-speaking children, performing the triads-matching task under a single condition to simplify cognitive demands for younger participants. Experiment 3 differed in approach from Experiments 1 and 2 by using a recognition memory task, measuring recall and recognition accuracy across the two languages. This multi-experiment design allowed for a comprehensive analysis of linguistic relativity across age groups and tasks within bilingual contexts. The results of these experiments were analysed against the predictions of the label-feedback hypothesis, the structural feedback hypothesis, as well as the general framework of linguistic relativity and bilingual cognition. The findings across the multiple experiments provide broad insights into the cognitive effects of noun class categories in different linguistic contexts. In the adult cohort, three experimental conditions of the triads-matching task showed that increasing the prominence of noun class membership yielded a small but measurable effect on categorisation outcomes. This effect was moderated by the frequency with which the participants used isiXhosa in their everyday lives. In a recognition memory task designed for the same groups, no significant influence of noun class categories was observed. For younger participants, aged 4 to 6 years, the triads-matching task without label cues also demonstrated that noun classes did not impact object categorisation for both English L1 and isiXhosa L1 speakers. These findings collectively underscore a minimal role for noun class categories in shaping cognitive processing among isiXhosa speakers across different age groups, experimental conditions, and cognitive tasks. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kategorisering van voorwerpe is sentraal tot die manier waarop mense doeltreffend met die wêreld omgaan. Die algemene aanname is dat ons voortdurend besig is met die handeling van kategorisering: soos om entiteite in klasse te groepeer, taal te gebruik. Die doel van navorsing oor hoe taal met denke in wisselwerking tree, is om te ondersoek watter areas van kognisie deur watter linguistiese onderskeid geraak word en onder watter omstandighede. Die hoofdoel van die huidige studie is om te bepaal of die grammatikale kategorie van naamwoordklasse in isiXhosa 'n rol speel in kognitiewe prosessering. Die studie ondersoek dus of die verskille in nominale klassifikasie tussen Engels ('n nie-selfstandige naamwoord klastaal) en isiXhosa ('n selfstandige naamwoord klastaal) kruislinguistiese verskille in kategoriseringsvoorkeure onder sprekers van Engels en isiXhosa teweegbring. Die studies wat in hierdie proefskrif aangebied word, het drie verskillende eksperimente beslaan, wat daarop gemik was om kognitiewe prosesse oor verskillende linguistiese groepe te ondersoek. In Eksperiment 1 het volwasse sprekers van Engels en isiXhosa deelgeneem aan 'n drieklanke-passingstaak, wat ontwerp is met drie toestande waar die opmerklikheid van naamwoordklasse sistematies gemanipuleer is om te bepaal hoe die sprekers voorwerpe gegroepeer het op grond van gegewe kriteria. Eksperiment 2 het die uitleg van die eerste studie herhaal, maar het die deelnemersdemografie aangepas om isiXhosa-sprekende en Engelssprekende kinders in te sluit, wat die drieklanke-passingstaak onder 'n enkele toestand uitgevoer het om kognitiewe eise vir jonger deelnemers te vereenvoudig. Eksperiment 3 het verskil in benadering van Eksperimente 1 en 2 deur 'n herkenningsgeheue-taak te gebruik, wat herroepings- en herkenningsakkuraatheid tussen die twee tale meet. Hierdie multieksperimentele ontwerp het voorsiening gemaak vir 'n omvattende ontleding van linguistiese relatiwiteit oor ouderdomsgroepe en take binne tweetalige kontekste. Die resultate van hierdie eksperimente is ontleed teen die voorspellings van die etiketteringsterugvoer-hipotese, die strukturele terugvoerhipotese, asook die algemene raamwerk van linguistiese relatiwiteit en tweetalige kognisie. Die bevindinge oor die veelvuldige eksperimente heen bied breë insigte oor die kognitiewe effekte van naamwoordklaskategorieë in verskillende linguistiese kontekste. In die volwasse deelnemergroep het drie eksperimentele toestande van die drieklanke-ooreenstemmende taak getoon dat ’n verhoging van die prominensie van naamwoordklaslidmaatskap ’n klein, maar meetbare effek op kategoriseringsuitkomste gehad. Hierdie effek is gemodereer deur die frekwensie waarteen die deelnemers isiXhosa in hulle alledaagse lewens gebruik. In ’n herkenningsgeheuetaak wat ontwerp is vir dieselfde groepe, is daar geen beduidende invloed van naamwoordkategorieë waargeneem nie. Vir jonger deelnemers, tussen die ouderdomme van 4 tot 6 jaar, het die drieklanke-ooreenstemmende taak sonder etiketaanwysings ook getoon dat naamwoordklasse nie die kategorisering van voorwerpe vir Engels L1- of isiXhosa L1-sprekers beïnvloed het nie. Hierdie bevindinge beaam gesamentlik 'n minimale rol vir naamwoordklaskategorieë in die vorming van kognitiewe prosessering onder isiXhosa-sprekers oor verskillende ouderdomsgroepe, eksperimentele toestande en kognitiewe take. XHOSA ISISHWANKATHELO: Ukwahlulahlula izinto kungundoqo kwindlela abantu abasebenzisana ngayo nehlabathi ngokufanelekileyo. Ingqikelelo jikelele yeyokuba sihlala sizibandakanya nesenzo sokwahlulahlula ngokwamaqela: okufana nokuhlanganisa amaqumrhu ngokweendidi, kusetyenziswa ulwimi. Uphando malunga nendlela ulwimi olunxibelelana ngayo nokucinga lujolise ekuphandeni ukuba yeyiphi imimandla yolwazi echatshazelwayo ukuba ngowuphi na umahluko phakathi kolwimi kwaye phantsi kweziphi iimeko. Eyona njongo iphambili yolu phononongo lwangoku kukufumanisa ukuba ingaba udidi lwegrama lwamahlelo ezibizo kwisiXhosa lunendima na kwinkqubo yokuqonda. Uphando lwangoku luphonononga ukuba ingaba umahluko phakathi kwesiNgesi (ulwimi olungenamahlelo ezibizo) kunye nesiXhosa (ulwimi olunamahlelo ezibizo) uzisa iiyantlukwano ngokweelwimi ekukhethweni ngokweendidi phakathi kwabantetho isisiNgesi nesiXhosa. Uphononongo oluthiwe thaca kolu phando luquka imifuniselo emithathu eyahlukeneyo, ejolise ekuphandeni iinkqubo zokuqonda kumaqela eelwimi ezahlukeneyo. Kumfuziselo woku-1, abantu abadala abathetha isiNgesi nesiXhosa babezixakekise kumsebenzi wokuthelekisa oonxantathu, oyilwe phantsi kweemeko ezintathu apho ihlelo lesibizo lisetyenziswe ngokucwangcisiweyo ukuhlola ukuba babeka njani na izinto ngokwemigaqo enikiweyo. Kumfuziselo wesi-2 kuphindaphindwe ubume bophononongo lokuqala kodwa kwahlengahlengiswa amanani abantu abathatha inxaxheba ukuze aquke abantwana abathetha isiXhosa nabantwana abathetha isiNgesi , abenza umsebenzi wokuthelekisa oonxantathu phantsi kwemeko enye ukwenza lula iimfuno zokuqonda kubathathi-nxaxheba abancinci. Umfuziselo wesi-3 wahluke kwindlela yokufikelela kuMfuziselo woku-1 nowesi-2 ngokusebenzisa umsebenzi wokukhumbula inkumbulo, ukulinganisa ukukhumbula kunye nokuchaneka kokuqaphela kwiilwimi ezimbini. Olu yilo lomfuziselo oluninzi luvumele uhlalutyo olubanzi lokuzalana kweelwimi kumaqela obudala kunye nemisebenzi ngaphakathi kwemixholo yeelwimi ezimbini. Iziphumo zale mifuziselo zahlalutywa ngokuchasene noqikelelo lwengxelo lweleyibhile, ingqikelelo yengxelo yolwakhiwo, ngokunjalo kunye nesakhelo jikelele sonxulumano lolwimi kunye nokuqonda iilwimi ezimbini. Iziphumo kuyo yonke imifuziselo emininzi zibonelela ngengqiqo ebanzi kwiziphumo zengqondo kwiindidi zamahlelo ezibizo kwiimeko ezahlukeneyo zolwimi. Kwiqela labantu abadala, iimeko ezintathu zomfuziselo womsebenzi wokufanisa oonxantathuzibonise ukuba ukwandisa ukugqwesa kobulungu behlelo lesibizo kuvelise ifuthe elincinci kodwa elinomlinganiselo kwiziphumo zokuhlela. Le mpembelelo yonganyelwe kukuphindaphindwa kwabathathi-nxaxheba abasebenzisa isiXhosa kubomi babo bemihla ngemihla. Kumsebenzi wokukhumbula inkumbulo eyenzelwe amaqela afanayo, akukho mpembelelo ibalulekileyo yeendidi yehlelo lesibizo eboniweyo. Kubathathi-nxaxheba abancinci, abaneminyaka emi-4 ukuya kwemi-6 ubudala, umsebenzi wokuthelekisa oonxantathu ngaphandle kweempawu zeleyibhile ukwabonise ukuba amahlelo ezibizo awakhange abe nafuthe kuhlelo lwento kwabo bathetha isiNgesi L1 kunye nesiXhosa L1. Ezi ziphumo zihlangeneyo zigxininisa indima encinci kwiindidi zamahlelo ezibizo ekuyileni ukusetyenzwa kwengqondo phakathi kwabantetho isisiXhosa kumaqela ahlukeneyo obudala, iimeko zomfuziselo, kunye nemisebenzi yokuqonda. Doctoral 2025-05-30T08:02:05Z 2025-05-30T08:02:05Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132219 en Stellenbosch University xix, 230 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Xhosa language -- Noun -- Study and teaching Categorization (Linguistics) English language -- Grammar, Comparative -- Xhosa Grammar, Comparative and general -- Noun Psycholinguistics -- South Africa UCTD Jonas, Khanyiso The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing |
| title | The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing |
| title_full | The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing |
| title_fullStr | The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing |
| title_short | The role of isiXhosa noun classes in cognitive processing |
| title_sort | role of isixhosa noun classes in cognitive processing |
| topic | Xhosa language -- Noun -- Study and teaching Categorization (Linguistics) English language -- Grammar, Comparative -- Xhosa Grammar, Comparative and general -- Noun Psycholinguistics -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132219 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jonaskhanyiso theroleofisixhosanounclassesincognitiveprocessing AT jonaskhanyiso roleofisixhosanounclassesincognitiveprocessing |