Scamto - Wordsmith.org

It is uncommon to be privileged to witness the birth of a language.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=7568210

...hmmm...story not available. It looked kinda interesting, too.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Fancy some Jesus and his brothers, or a ride in a g-string? And why is it that abantu abu baie bane kwal'nge-cherry?

This is South Africa's latest street slang -- a mix of the 11 official languages with nicknames thrown in for beer, cars, weapons and sexual positions that has grown out of the country's sprawling townships.

Hailed by its fans as a symbol of the country's diversity 11 years after the end of apartheid, "scamto" has become the language of choice for South Africa's black urban youth and its first exhaustive guide is due out next month.

"It's real, it's raw, and it captures the diversity and confidence of the new South Africa," said 24-year-old advertising executive Lebo Motshegoa from Soweto, the author of "Township Talk: The People, the Language, the Culture."

The unofficial street language first emerged under apartheid in the 1950s as speakers of different African languages were shoved into townships and forced to communicate as the white regime sought to purge the cities of blacks.

Scamto took off in the 1990s with the explosion of kwaito -- the townships' homegrown brand of hip-hop -- which uses the street slang extensively, Motshegoa told Reuters.

As well as mixing existing languages, scamto has invented quirky labels for popular brands, and words that capture the vibe of township life and black urban culture.

Jesus and his brothers means J&B whisky, while riding a g-string means driving a BMW. Black Label beer became tomato and then Red Bull -- nothing to do with the energy drink.

And 'why is it that abantu abu baie bane kwal'nge-cherry?' is what a young Sowetan might ask when he wants to know why his friends envy him for his girlfriend.

Critics note that the language is spoken only by blacks and argue that talk of diversity in South Africa is largely meaningless given that almost all of the massive chunk of the population still living on under a dollar a day are black.

But Motshegoa says township talk, which is increasingly being used in advertising, gives the black urban youth a voice and reflects a desire to move beyond old divisions.

"It's about spicing up language to reflect people's lives, and it's about one beautiful language and one beautiful people."

� Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.