English tsotsitaals? - an analysis of two written texts in Surfspeak and South African Indian English slang

Abstract

This paper examines the use of “tsotsitaals” that use English as a base language, viz. Surfspeak used mainly by White surfing subcultures in Cape Town, and the unnamed variety characteristic of (mainly) young Indian and coloured males in Durban. Examples from written sources are used to characterise the varieties and their status. Attention is paid to the extent to which they can be considered autonomous enough to succeed as written text. This article will serve to: (a) demonstrate that tsotsitaals may operate via the medium of English; (b) give an appreciation of the humour, wit and style associated with English tsotsitaals, via the analysis of two written texts; and (c) show the limitations of tsotsitaals in extended written usage, for which they have to co-exist with more mainstream forms of the dialect of English they utilise for their base.