Bringing the ‘Fuzzy’ into Focus: Analysing Some Morphosyntactic Features of Tanzanian English

Abstract

The paper presents a pioneering pilot study on Tanzanian English (TznE) used in higher education. It addresses a gap in research on contemporary TznE, a variety that has been described as ‘instable and fuzzy’, particularly in its grammatical system. This field study aims to analyse some morphosyntactic structures commonly used in TznE, while recognising Tanzania’s linguistic landscape, which includes English, Swahili, and numerous minority languages. Using primarily acceptability judgment data in the form of questionnaire responses, supported by focus group discussions and interviews with university students and lecturers, the study explores 14 morphosyntactic features of TznE contrasted with Standard British English, providing insights into linguistic patterns and user perceptions. The findings indicate that over 50% of the participants would use non-standard forms in speech, and 30% in writing, with some showing a preference for non-standard forms even when aware of the standard ones. The study concludes that TznE exhibits some distinct grammatical features, challenging the notion that it is merely ‘fuzzy’. We move on to claim that certain grammatical constructions have become grammaticalised in TznE and that TznE is moving into Schneider’s nativisation stage of development, where it acquires constructions unique to the country while being adopted by a majority of the speakers.