Colloquial Language in Mqapheli Mngadi’s Editorial Cartoons: A Socio-stylistic Critique

Abstract

This paper considers colloquial language in Mqapheli Mngadi’s cartoons. It has been discovered that Mngadi uses colloquialism in his cartoons and the aim of this paper is to uncover to what merit, effect, and extent he does this. Since there is generally an observed gap on scholarship when it comes to cartoons in the indigenous African languages of South Africa, it is believed that this paper will contribute to scientific knowledge. The study is done through the lens of socio-stylistics. On the other hand, textual analysis, as a qualitative research technique, is adopted as the study’s research paradigm since cartoons are primary sources. From the analysis of data (cartoons), it was demonstrated how Mngadi uses different categories of colloquial words, and these include: word-based derived colloquial words, colloquial loan words, tsotsitaal, shortened names, and nicknames. It will also be demonstrated how each of these colloquial words are used stylistically to complement the informal nature of cartoons.