Conceptualizing Famine and Periodic Food Shortage Ideologies through Image Schemas: The Case of Dholuo in Kenya

Abstract: Ravaging drought and biting hunger/famine are not new phenomena in Kenya. Every year, different parts of the country experience episodic or seasonal food shortage caused by inadequate rainfall. The Luo community in Nyanza notably braves raging hunger by nicknaming famines based on the circumstances and impact of a dry season on the people. The nicknames used to describe the famines are chiefly drawn from recurrent patterns arising from bodily experiences such as containers, paths, links and forces. Against this backdrop, the present study set out to investigate the nicknames of famines in Dholuo to reveal how famine ideologies are conceptualized using image schemas. A descriptive study was conducted in Homa-Bay County. Sisteen key informants were interviewed on famine nicknames and the ethno-semantic implications of the descriptions. From the interview, twelve nicknames of the famines considered to be the most biting were purposively sampled for analysis using the Image Schemas Theory (IST). The study found that famine hits hardest between April and July when many crops in Nyanza are being weeded in anticipation of harvesting in August. Secondly, the study found that the Luo community braves hunger/famine through nicknames that utilize FORCE, CONTAINER, OBJECT and PATH schematic patterns. Further, famine naming among the Luo represents socio-economic ideologies that are important for understanding local and national subsistence crises. The findings of this study indicate that Cognitive Linguistics dispenses powerful tools for conceptualizing abstract concepts such as famine/hunger. Famine nicknames in Dholuo are versatile tools that enrich communication with ethno-semantic layers of interpretation. The study concludes that schematic patterns used to conceptualize famine are products of cognition and should therefore be investigated through the lenses of a cognitive linguist.