The value of indigenous knowledge systems in the development of Zulu medical terminology

Abstract

Language may be studied not only from a linguistic point of view, but also with regard to extra-linguistic factors such as indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). These systems, broadly speaking, concern the lives, thoughts and culture of the people who speak a particular language. Zulu language development, for instance, can be enhanced by reverting to indigenous knowledge which is imbedded in the language instead of relying solely on linguistic methods of term creation. In this manner the speaker's understanding of newly created terms will also be improved.