Appreciating Language Variation: Why We Are Unapologetically Proud Hustlers!

By the pen of Gitau wa Kung'u ✒️

In Linguistics (the scientific study of language), we have a branch of called 'Sociolinguistics' ( study of social and cultural effects on language) that studies various forms of language one of which is; LANGUAGE VARIATION!

Language variation studies how a language changes by observing it. Speakers of the same language may vary in accents or pronunciation of words, have different structure of words and use of vocabularies.

In language variation, words and vocabularies use may vary from one language's dialect to another or from one region to another in the same lingual community's jurisdiction. 

For instance, did you know that the word "girl" was first used as a word for little boys and girls who were regarded "not well cooked" intellectually or basically timid to their agemates mental capacity? Over time, the word girl came to be used to refer to the female child because females (girls) are thought to be inferior to males (boys) and so even timid boys were regarded to be more superior to timid girls and could not be called the same word. Eventually the world "girl" became the word we use even today to refer to female children. Now are girls less intellectually smarter to boys because their name was used for timid children?

Again, in the Americas and the Carribean, the word "nigger" was used by whites to racially abuse and degrade black slaves during the slave trade days. Over time, the black people became hardened and they even started using the name on each other and the White's dehumanisation ceased to make sense. Now, Black Americans and Carribean people proudly say "I'm a nigger" even in international screens and the whites cannot degrade African using the name anymore.

Another one, what we call "Traffic lights" in East African English, in South African English they are call them "robots" but which nationality can laugh the other as foolish for not using the word they any is associated with?

Now, in Kenyan English, the word *"Hustler"* is a form of language variation from the same word in British English  used by the British to dehumanise us during colonial period but Kenyans are proudly associated with it today to mock the British insult!

 It does not mean what the same word means in British English whose dictionary you used! In Kenya, the word "Hustler" means a person who works hard by faithful means in business to add value to their lives and to the society. 

So kindly get updated, fellow Hustlers and work hard to make personal and the society's financial progress Sir. And let no one who does not discern anything to do with language variation degrade you for respecting language variation in English! Thank you.

By the pen of Gîtaû wa Kûngû ✒️