“Kleng jaa tjeng tjang” – Julia Kristeva and the Transformation of Everyday Language

Abstract

This article examines the role of linguistics in the work of the French psychoanalyst and professor of linguistics Julia Kristeva and shows how she has developed Lacan’s theory of the relation between mother, child and language further. Her unique contribution favours the inclusion of the semiotic chora in the relation and focuses on a type of language used by the child when inside the womb that is characterised by pulsating rhythms. Finally, I will show how this theory is put into practice in the clinic itself. Kristeva’s project is to address the problem of “the relationship between language and bodily experience” (Oliver 2002: xx) and to show how the bodily drives manifest themselves in language. To argue aspects of Kristeva’s views on linguistics, I will refer to a poem by Breyten Breytenbach called “Die tweegeveg” (The duel).

Opsomming

Hierdie artikel ondersoek die rol wat linguistiek speel in die werk van die Franse psigoanalise en linguistiekprofessor Julia Kristeva. Daar word onder meer aangetoon hoe sy Lacan se teorie oor die verhouding tussen moeder, kind en taal verder ontwikkel. Haar eiesoortige bydrae is ten gunste van die insluiting van die semiotiese chora in hierdie verhouding en fokus op die tipe taal wat die kind gebruik in die baarmoeder en wat gekenmerk word deur pulserende ritmes. Ten slotte gaan ek aandui hoe hierdie teorie in die praktyk werk, Kristeva se projek is om die probleem van die verhouding tussen taal en die beliggaming daarvan (Oliver 2002: xx) te ondersoek en aan te dui hoe hierdie liggaamlike drifte gemanifesteer word in taal. Om my argument te illustreer maak ek gebruik van Breyten Breytenbach se gedig “Die tweegeveg”.