Wielding an identity through preserving the existence of edible stinkbugs: An exploration of the linguistic terminologies used in the harvesting of the stinkbugs by the Norumedzo community of Bikita, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study explores some linguistic terminological utilisations in the harvesting and processing of the edible stinkbug (harurwa) by the Norumedzo community of Bikita district located in the southeastern part of Zimbabwe. The study also seeks to examine how the linguistic terminological utilisations are handled by the community in their everyday experiences during the stinkbug season to enhance their interaction as they engage themselves in the harvesting and processing activities. In the case of linguistics as a field 
of language study, it appears as though these linguistic vocabularies were an understudied area within Languages and Literature in Zimbabwe. The focus of this present study is to explore some linguistic vocabularies that are used in the edible stinkbug harvesting period and processing as well as to examine the meanings and messages they refer to within the existence of the edible stinkbug in the Norumedzo contextual settings. These observations concur very well with Austin’s (1962) assertions about the principles of pragmatics in which meaning and effect of the linguistic terms were analysed to show the ways in which the expressions represented actions and how they are intended to make meaning. Since the study assesses the historical and social life hinged on the way they manipulate language as a community, it applies a qualitative approach which captures the uses of an inter-disciplinary application of data collection methods. The main data collection methods employed in this study comprised interviews and participant observation techniques. The core of this study’s argument is centred on exploring some linguistic vocabularies that forms the basis of the Norumedzo people’s interactions during the harvesting and processing activities to perpetuate the identity, culture, tradition and conserving the heritage of this community. The findings of the study showed that the Norumedzo people possess a very rich historical 
identity buttressed by owning a weaponry linguistic tool that necessitates stability and continuity of the community. Findings also showed that the selected linguistic terminological utterances utilized by the Norumedzo community perform different functions such as to give meanings to some of the activities the community engage in and constitute a stylistic means of interaction pointing to their identity, history and heritage. By situating the findings of the study within the theory of pragmatics, it makes us understand how language is utilized within given contextual settings. The study concludes by recommending among other issues that human identities, cultures, traditions, and heritage should be preserved and passed on to every incoming generation for the continuity of a preserved cultural heritage and take pride in them being Africans.