Note 120 — Chapter III · THE THREE CAUSES OF CHANGE IN LANGUAGE.

“Natal Colonist,” Sept. 3rd, 1875. Mr. Theal says (“The Cape Monthly Magazine,” June, 1877, p. 349): “A woman, who sang the song of ‘Tangalimlibo’ for me, used the word angoca, instead of amanzi, for ‘water,’ because this last contained the syllable nzi, which she would not on any account pronounce. She had, therefore, manufactured another word, the meaning of which had to be judged by the context, as, standing alone, it is meaningless.” This is a good instance of the way in which a savage dialect may grow up.