"CLICK" SPEECH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 52, 10 December 1932, Page 8

"CLICK" SPEECH

BANTU NATIVE'S RECITATION.

ROTARIANS ENTERTAINED. (Special to the '"Guardian.") WELLINGTON, Dec. 9. A most interesting visitor at the Rotary Club's luncheon; on Wednesday was a young Bantu native of South Africa—black as the ace of spades—from the Fort Hore College, who is in New Zealand for the purpose of taking a course in medicine at Otago University. In introducing him to the members, the Rev Herbert W. Newell, of the Terrace Congregational Church, said that his guest, Mr Katidio Piliso, was in New Zealand through the influence of the Christian Student movement, in order that he might study and serve his people as a doctor. Mr Piliso, who speaks excellent English, said, in explanation of his being in New Zealand, that no natives were allowed to study medicine in South Africa, and the only way they could acquire the requisite knowledge was to go to England or the United States, or some other country, but the wages paid them were so low that few could afford to undertake such a journey and pay the requisite fees. It was Clubs Of South Africa who had seen the great need for native doctors, and who had estimated that 900 were needed, on the basis of 000 patients .per doctor. The movement had been taken up by a number of the churches in Africa, who were trying to make provision for the training overseas of a number of medical students of the native tribes.

Probably the most fascinating part of Mr Piliso's appearance before the Rotary Club was his recitation, in his native language. The Bantu language is not altogether the spoken sound as we understand it in almost any European language. This strange people, probably with an ancestry as remote as any upon earth, have a language which largely consists of three clicks, an action made with the tongue in the mouth,-and has .nothing to do with the larynx or vocal chords. Mr Piliso said his language was made up largely of clicks—the "c" click, the "q" click, and the "x" click—and he illustrated the different sounds, which were perceptibly at variance. Allied to the clicks were many real vocal sounds or spoken words, which made the language one of extreme difficulty to understand, as one had to learn the meaning of the click in its relation to the vocal sound, or vice versa. Having given this disquisition upon his language the visitor recited, with good modulation, a Bantu poem, which was usually recited to the young men before they went into battle. It was a recital of the deeds of their fathers and grandfathers before them, and was meant to stimulate them to deeds of equal bravery. Mr Piliso is at present on vacation, and intends to see something of the North Island before resuming his studies at the Otago University.