Exploring Figurative Language in Mutendas’ Contemporary Song ‘Vhutshilo Vhu a Mona u Fana na Vhili’ (Life Turns Like a Wheel)

Mashudu Maṱhabi ORCID iD

Issue: Vol.6 No.14 Article 53 pp. 4119 – 4128
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561453| Published online 30th December, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Mutendasi, a prominent Tshivenḓa folk musician, is renowned for his profound use of poetic language and his commitment to cultural preservation. This paper examines the role of figurative language in one of his most linguistically and philosophically rich compositions, “Vhutshilo vhu a mona u fana na vhili” (“Life turns like a wheel”). Anchored in the Cognitive Linguistics framework, particularly Conceptual Metaphor Theory, the study employed qualitative textual analysis to unpack metaphorical and rhetorical devices in the song. The analysis reveals how these devices serve as tools for cultural expression, philosophical reflection, and social commentary. The paper underscores Mutendasi’s work as both artistic expression and a vessel for indigenous knowledge, contributing to the broader discourse on Tshivenḓa oral literature and music.

Keywords: Tshivenḓa music, Mutendasi, figurative language, metaphor, cultural identity, oral literature, Conceptual Metaphor Theory.

 

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M.Maṱhabi is a Senior Lecturer specialising in Tshivenḓa in the Department of African Languages, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, at the University of Venda. She teaches Tshivenḓa at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and serves as an external examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications at several universities in South Africa. Maṱhabi  specializes in Tshivenḓa Linguistics, literature and Lexicography. She is currently the Chairperson of the Tshivenḓa National Language Board (TNLB) under the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB).Maṱhabi has an established research profile, with numerous publications in accredited peer-reviewed journals, and has presented papers at both national and international academic conferences. Her scholarly activities also include supervising Masters and Doctoral (PhD) candidates, through which she contributes meaningfully to postgraduate research development and capacity building in African languages, with particular emphasis on Tshivenḓa.

Maṱhabi, Mashudu. “Exploring Figurative Language in Mutendas’ Contemporary Song ‘Vhutshilo Vhu a Mona u Fana na Vhili’ (Life Turns Like a Wheel).” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 14 (2025): 4107 – 4118, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561453.

© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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