Knowledge Brokers: Books and Publishers in Early Colonial Zaire

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 311-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara A. Yates
Keyword(s):  
Practical Experience ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
African Languages ◽  
Printed Media ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Early Colonial ◽  
Written Form ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
Knowledge Brokers ◽  
Printed Materials

This paper is concerned with the process, problems, and politics of knowledge transfer in King Leopold's Congo. Since European languages were infrequently taught in Congo schools, the availability of printed materials in local African languages served as the primary means of achieving literacy and subsequently knowledge beyond that learned through practical experience.With the exception of Swahili, used in the Eastern Congo as a lingua franca, none of the several dozen major languages or the several hundred minor languages and dialects spoken in the Congo Basin had been reduced to written form before modern missionaries established themselves there beginning in 1879. Between 1879 and 1908, when the Congo was the personal possession of Leopold II, nineteen Congolese languages were reduced to written form and more than 400 titles in these languages were published. To the sophisticated modern reader such a narrow choice of literature may seem unworthy of study. But this printed media stock--primers, readers, textbooks, religious tracts, Gospels, and magazines--was all that was available to some tens of thousands of seekers after literacy and the major printed communications between Westerners and Africans in the Congo Basin. This fact, alone, gives such materials significance.Most of this literature was prepared for use in elementary schools. In 1908, when King Leopold's Congo was annexed by the Belgian Parliament, some 46,000 pupils of all ages were enrolled in colonial schools. Another 50,000 had probably attended these schools between 1879 and 1908. Over ninety-nine percent of these pupils attended schools run by eighteen mission societies (nine Protestant and nine Catholic).

Locating the politics of a Sierra Leonean chiefdom

Africa ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Fanthorpe
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Colonial State ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Sierra Leonean ◽  
Early Colonial ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Primary Means

The chiefdoms of Sierra Leone are institutions of colonial origin but nevertheless continue to serve as local government units in the post-colonial state. The prevailing view among scholars is that these institutions have little basis in indigenous political culture, and have furthermore become breeding grounds of political corruption. This view has tended to elide anthropological analysis of internal chiefdom politics. However, it is argued in this article that such conclusions are premature. With reference to the Biriwa Limba chiefdom of northern Sierra Leone, it is shown that historical precedent, in many cases relating to prominent political figures of the late nineteenth century, continues to serve as a primary means of ordering local rights in land, settlement and political representation. This phenomenon is not a product of innate conservatism but emerges rather as a pragmatic response to the persistent failure of successive Sierra Leone administrations to extend modern measures of citizenship to the bulk of the rural populace. Rights and properties have become progressively localised in villages originally registered for tax collection in the early colonial era. Here one finds one of the most telling legacies of the British policy of indirect rule in post-colonial Sierra Leone.

scholarly journals A Needs Assessment for Indigenous African Language-Based Programming Languages

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Ezekiel K. Olatunji ◽  
John B. Oladosu ◽  
Odetunji A. Odejobi ◽  
Stephen O. Olabiyisi
Keyword(s):  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Programming Languages ◽  
Programming Language ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
African Languages ◽  
European Languages ◽  
To Come ◽  
High Degree

AbstractThe development of an African native language-based programming language, using Yoruba as a case study, is envisioned. Programming languages based on the lexicons of indigenous African languages are rare to come by unlike those based on Asian and / or European languages. Availability of programming languages based on lexicons of African indigenous language would facilitate comprehension of problem-solving processes using computer by indigenous learners and teachers as confirmed by research results. In order to further assess the relevance, usefulness and needfulness of such a programming language, a preliminary needs assessment survey was carried out. The needs assessment was carried out through design of a structured questionnaire which was administered to 130 stakeholders in computer profession and computer education; including some staffers and learners of some primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in Oyo and Osun states of Nigeria, Africa. The responses to the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analysis of the responses to the questionnaire shows that 89% of the respondents to the questionnaire expressed excitement and willingness to program or learn programming in their mother tongue-based programming language, if such a programming language is developed. This result shows the high degree of relevance, usefulness and needfulness of a native language-based programming language as well as the worthwhileness of embarking on development of such a programming language.

Substratal Influence in Saramaccan Serial Verb Constructions

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
John McWhorter
Keyword(s):  
Universal Grammar ◽  
West African ◽  
Serial Verb Constructions ◽  
African Languages ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
The World ◽  
Serial Verbs ◽  
Serial Verb ◽  
Substrate Influence

Bickerton's bioprogram hypothesis uses serial verbs as a primary demonstration that Saramaccan represents the closest approximation to Universal Grammar extant, judging from the fact that speakers of mutually unintelligible West African languages formulated it with little contact with European languages. Closer examination of Saramaccan and its substrate languages suggests, however, that the creole is a prime demonstration of substrate influence. The uniformity of serials across the substrate languages can be shown to have provided the opportunity for compromise between the small differences in the constructions in forming the language, according to perceptual saliency relative to the languages involved. A survey of serializing language families shows that serials in Saramaccan are most similar to those in its substrate, while a survey of créoles around the world shows that serials appear in créoles with similar substrates and almost never in those with nonserializing substrates. Furthermore, the explanation of serials as compensation for missing categories in Saramaccan is belied by an evaluation of this argument as applied to prepositions, which shows that the Saramaccan system mirrors that of its substrate with limited accommodations to its superstrate.

The Afterlife of Oyono's Houseboy in the Swahili Schools Market: To Be or Not to Be Faithful to the Original

PMLA ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-184
Author(s):  
Ken Walibora Waliaula
Keyword(s):  
Italian Literature ◽  
African Literature ◽  
Ngugi Wa Thiong'o ◽  
Chinua Achebe ◽  
African Languages ◽  
European Languages ◽  
False Proposition ◽  
African Experience ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Asian Languages

Africa, the world's second-largest continent, speaks over two thousand languages but rarely translates itself. it is no wonder, therefore, that Ferdinand Oyono's francophone African classic Une vie de boy (1956), translated into at least twelve European and Asian languages, exists in only one African translation—that is, if we consider as non-African Oyono's original French and the English, Arabic, and Portuguese into which it was translated. Since 1963, when Obi Wali stated in his essay “The Dead End of African Literature” that African literature in English and French was “a clear contradiction, and a false proposition,” like “Italian literature in Hausa” (14), the question of the language of African literature has animated debate. Two decades later, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o restated Wali's contention, asserting that European languages led to African “spiritual subjugation” (9). Ngũgĩ argued strongly that African literature should be written in African languages. On the other hand, Chinua Achebe defended European languages, maintaining that they could “carry the weight of African experience” (62).

Five years after: a look forward to the revision of the EWC Directive

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willy Buschak
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Managing Change ◽  
Proper Functioning ◽  
Written Form ◽  
Transnational Companies ◽  
The Media ◽  
Works Council ◽  
The Right

We now have well over 500 agreements on European Works Councils. There is already plenty of practical experience. All loo often, the chance for dialogue with workers' representatives is not used by company management. If the European Works Council is to play its role, to participate in managing change, then it needs information that is given regularly and m a written form. Consultation must take place before decision-making, so that the opinion of employees' representatives can still be considered during planning. Preconditions important for the proper functioning of any European Works Council are missing from the Directive, for example, the right to training. EWC representatives must be given the means to meet local representatives, to keep them up-to-date with the information and consultation within the EWC. Companies in the media sector (Tendenzunternehmen) should not be exempt from information and consultation obligations that ultimately are beneficial to the management itself. The threshold of 1000 employees fails to see the needs in undertakings. With the trend towards splitting up companies, “smaller” transnational companies are becoming mare important. Any company that fails to comply with the obligations regarding information and consultation should be excluded from financial support for which it could be eligible in the context of European, national or regional measures.

Morphological Processes in Haitian Creole

1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Brousseau ◽  
Sandra Filipovich ◽  
Claire Lefebvre
Keyword(s):  
West African ◽  
African Language ◽  
African Languages ◽  
Haitian Creole ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Morphological Processes ◽  
Creole Languages ◽  
Selection Of

In this paper we examine the morphology of Haitian with respect to two issues widely discussed in the literature on creoles: 1) the substratum issue, formulated in our view in terms of the role played by relexification in the formation of Haitian Creole; and 2) the widespread assumption that creole languages are morphologically simpler than their lexifier language. These two issues are not unrelated. The morphological simplicity assumption is based on a comparison of creole with European languages that have contributed the bulk of their respective lexicons. In order to discuss the two issues, we will compare the productive morphology of Haitian with that of French (the lexifier language), and Fon, a contributive West African language. The major findings of this paper with respect to the issues addressed here are the following: 1) productive affixes of Haitian Creole pattern in a significant way with the model of contributing West African languages more so than with French; and 2) the presumed morphological simplicity of creoles reduces to the selection of the unmarked option with respect to the position of morphological heads.

scholarly journals Cross-linguistic variation in space-based distance for size depiction in the lexicons of six sign languages

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 350-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Nyst
Keyword(s):  
West African ◽  
Linguistic Variation ◽  
African Origin ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
European Origin ◽  
African Languages ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Representation Technique ◽  
Representation Techniques

Abstract This paper presents a semiotic study of the distribution of a type of size depiction in lexical signs in six sign languages. Recently, a growing number of studies are focusing on the distribution of two representation techniques, i.e. the use of entity handshapes and handling handshapes for the depiction of hand-held tools (e.g. Ortega et al. 2014). Padden et al. (2013) find that there is cross-linguistic variation in the use of this pair of representation techniques. This study looks at variation in a representation technique that has not been systematically studied before, i.e. the delimitation of a stretch of space to depict the size of a referent, or space-based distance for size depiction. It considers the question whether the cross-linguistic variation in the use of this representation technique is governed by language-specific patterning as well (cf. Padden et al. 2013). This study quantifies and compares the occurrence of space-based distance for size depiction in the lexicons of six sign languages, three of Western European origin, and three of West African origin. It finds that sign languages differ significantly from each other in their frequency of use of this depiction type. This result thus corroborates that the selection and distribution of representation techniques does not solely depend on features of the depicted image, but also on language-specific patterning in the distribution of representation techniques, and it adds another dimension of iconic depiction in which sign languages may vary from each other (in addition to the entity/handling handshape distinction). Moreover, the results appear to be areally defined, with the three European languages using this representation technique significantly more often than the three African languages.

scholarly journals Towards Development of an Indigenous African Language-based Programming Language

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezekiel K Olatunji ◽  
John B Oladosu ◽  
Odetunji A Odejobi ◽  
Stephen O Olabiyisi
Keyword(s):  
Programming Languages ◽  
Programming Language ◽  
Native Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Indigenous Students ◽  
African Languages ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
To Come

Programming languages based on the lexicons of indigenous African languages are rare to come by unlike those based on Asian and / or European languages. It is opined that an African native language-based programming language would enhance comprehension of computer-based problem solving processes by indigenous students and teachers. This study intends to attempt a design and implementation of an African native language-based programming language using Yoruba as case study. Yoruba is the first language of over 30 million people in the south-west of Nigeria, Africa; and is spoken by over one hundred million people world-wide. In preparation towards actual implementation of a prototype of the intended programming language, a mini token recognizer has been developed in QBasic. Keywords— Native language-based programming languages, Yoruba language, Digital divide, Information and communication technology, prototype implementation. 

scholarly journals Benedetto cotrugli on double entry Bookkeeping

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Sangster ◽  
Franco Rossi
Keyword(s):  
English Translation ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Written Form ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Double Entry

(Benedetto Cotrugli sulla contabilità in Partita Doppia) In 1458, a former international merchant, Benedetto Cotrugli, wrote a 200-page manual on how to be a successful merchant: Libro de Larte dela Mercatura (Book of the Art of Trade). It included a 5-page chapter on double entry bookkeeping, something never previously preserved in written form. The earliest known copy of this book dates from 1475. This paper provides an overview of the book and of Cotrugli; and it presents new English and Italian translations of Cotrugli’s chapter on double entry bookkeeping. These differ from previous translations in that they are based solely on the earliest copy of Cotrugli’s book from 1475. The English translation is also the first to have been prepared by an accountant enabling the description of entries in account books to be in the form Cotrugli intended. This is the first of two contributions made by this paper. The second is that it identifies Cotrugli’s chapter as a first stage in the training of a bookkeeper, where a broad introduction to the subject is laid down as a foundation for further study or practical experience. 

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