Ninogeshe: Strategic Selection of Value Adding Terms in Advertisement and Slogan Creation by Corporations in Dar es Salaam

Abstract

Strategic choice of lexical items constitutes one of tactics that corporatecompanies adopt when composing advertisements or creating slogans. Thepaper presents a situation in which five corporate companies: Bakhresa Group,CRDB Bank, Tanzania Telecommunication Corporation Limited, ViettelTanzania Public Limited Company (Halotel) and Tanzania Breweries CompanyLimited converged in the use of one lexical item -noga in its variousderivations to generate advertisement and slogans for their products. Toestablish a historical background of the term -noga and the reasons for thisconvergence, the author reviews Bantu language dictionaries and relies on theinformation from print press. The findings show that -noga is an old stemcarrying the meanings 􀂶􀁊􀁒􀁒􀁇􀂷􀀏􀀃 􀂶􀁖􀁚􀁈􀁈􀁗􀂷􀀃 􀁒􀁕􀀃 􀂶􀁓􀁏􀁈􀁄􀁖􀁄􀁑􀁗􀂷􀀃 􀁌􀁑􀀃 􀁖􀁈􀁙􀁈􀁕􀁄􀁏􀀃 􀀥􀁄􀁑􀁗􀁘􀀃 􀁏􀁄􀁑􀁊􀁘􀁄􀁊􀁈􀁖􀀃spoken in Tanzania. The game theory which enlightened the interpretation ofthe findings is used to explain that, -noga is favourable for advertisementsbecause it adheres to three characteristics of a potential value adding term.Linguistically, it is analysable and it respects Bantu language rules;sociolinguistically, it is popular and suitable to express aesthetical issues likemusic and sports, and practically, it has a long and powerful tradition of􀁈􀁛􀁓􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁖􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁑􀁒􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁏􀁄􀁗􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀂶􀁏􀁒􀁙􀁄􀁅􀁌􀁏􀁌􀁗􀁜􀂷􀀑􀀃􀀬􀁗􀀃􀁌􀁖􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁇􀁈􀁇, therefore that,in the light of the choice of this stem among private business corporations,studies could be extended to other linguistic items on how they can be used toenhance productivity.Key words: -noga, game theory, corporation, language