A thorough introduction to African languages and linguistics, covering typology, structure and sociolinguistics. The twelve chapters are written by a team of eminent Africanists. Notes, refs, index, ix, 396pp, UK CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

With increasing numbers of computers and diffusion of the internet around the world, localisation of the technology and the content it carries into the many languages people speak is becoming an ever more important area for discussion and action. Localisation, simply put, includes translation and cultural adaptation of user interfaces and software applications, as well as the creation and translation of internet content in diverse languages. It is essential in making information and communication technology more accessible to the populations of the poorer countries, increasing its relevance to their lives, needs, and aspirations, and ultimately in bridging the 'digital divide'. Localisation is a new and growing field of inquiry. This book identifies issues, concerns, priorities, and lines of research and is intended as a baseline study in defining localisation in Africa and how it is important for development and education in the long term. 176pp, SOUTH AFRICA. HUMAN SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL.

This diverse collection of essays embraces the main discourses in the field of African languages and linguistics. Argues for the absolute necessity of developing African languages as a condition of socio-economic development. The work further advocates the involvement of all sectors of society in language development efforts, language identification, and the imperative of validating African languages as equal to the colonial languages. Focus countries include: Chad, Nigeria, Gabon and Cameron. 237pp, SENEGAL. CODESRIA.

One of the first books to comprehensively engage with sociolinguistic issues from a uniquely African perspective. Looks at the wealth of linguistic diversity across the continent and the specific problems facing African societies and governments such language attrition and language death. A very interesting volume for the both the general reader and the student. Covers the general topics of postgraduate and undergraduate linguistic courses. Index, app, maps, tables, xiv, 334pp, SOUTH AFRICA. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0195716817

Explores the thesis that in the Kwa languages of West Africa, aspect and modality are more central to the grammar of the verb than tense. Where tense marking has emerged it is invariably in the expression of the future, and therefore concerned with the impending actualization or potentiality of an event, hence with modality, rather than the purely temporal sequencing associated with tense. The primary grammatical contrasts are perfective versus imperfective. The main languages discussed are Akan, Dangme, Ewe, Ga and Tuwuli while Nzema-Ahanta, Likpe and Eastern Gbe are also mentioned. Index, bib, 335pp, NETHERLANDS. JOHN BENJAMINS.

An in depth introduction to the 800 Austronesian languages spoken in the area from Madagascar to Eastern Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines describing size and social make up of the speech communities and their typological profiles. BNS, 752pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE, 0700712860

Typically lateral explorations of African languages from the intrepid linguist. Index, 56pp, UK. JOSEPH BIDDULPH, 1897999305

New in paperback. This reference work is the first comprehensive overview of Bantu languages, providing a set of descriptive and typological statements which are theoretically informed, with a detailed account of member languages. Also includes information on phonology, morphology, sytax, lexis, semantics, dialectology and sociolinguistics. Index, bib, refs, maps, xvii, 708pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

2004 1996 981246655x Paperback

Examines the range of similarity and difference between Black speech communities in Africa and the diaspora and the impact of imperialism and enslavement on language. Written by Black scholars often in collaboration with local communities, it looks to decolonise the study of Black language and languages. Foreword by Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Index, refs, tables, figs, notes, xii, 228pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Provides a typological overview of the different manifestations of grammaticalized case systems in African languages. After defining and distinguishing case systems, Christa König begins a thorough analysis of case in roughly 100 African languages and reveals several features, such as tone as a marker for case and the marked-nominative system, which are rare phenomena in other languages of the world. 368pp, UK. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Whereas Africa as a typological area is often associated with extensive verb morphology and verb serialization, this collection of studies shows that there is tremendous typological diversity at the clausal level. Verb serialization in the Khoisan area contrasts with extensive case-marking in languages of northeastern Africa, which also use converbs and light verb plus coverb constructions. Although the categorial distinction between nouns and verbs is generally clear in African languages, a number of them nevertheless provide intricate analytical challenges in this respect. 389pp, NETHERLANDS. JOHN BENJAMINS.

Discusses the effects of globalization on languages in Africa. In contrast to previous studies, the contributors examine whether or not globalization is affecting African languages in the same ways and at the same rate in different countries, and how local experiences of language change vary from place to place. Rather than seeing English as the 'killer language' par excellence, the contributors probe ways in which languages are being used side by side to complement each other in some contexts while competing against European colonial languages in others. The result is a diverse canvas of language vitality in the African context, including matters of endangerment and loss, through the lens of globalization in its various interpretations. Index, 292pp, UK. CONTINUUM.

Eighteen revised papers first presented at the 31st Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Boston University, 2000. Languages discussed include Kwa, Edo, Yoruba, Bukusu, Gikuyu, Dagbani, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Anyi, Shona, Zulu and Luo. Includes an essay by Ngugi wa Thiong'o entitled After Asmara: The Future of Literature and Scholarship in Africa. Refs, diags, 216pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

Argues that the contrast between language and social institutions is most obvious in the colonial and post-colonial world in Africa, characterized as it was by the import of European institutions which were of a qualitatively new nature and which led to the establishment of a hierarchy of African languages in Africa. This study focuses on the effects of the globalisation processes on the vitality of languages in two West African cities, Maiduguri in Nigeria and Banfora in Burkina Faso. 384pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

Aims at providing both a scholarly and an accessible account of the nature and extent of the problem of language decline and extinction in Africa. Traces the main causes and circumstances of language endangerment, the processes and extent of language shift and extinction, and the consequences of language loss to the continent's rich linguistic and cultural heritage. Index, bib, maps, tables, 174pp, UK. MULTILINGUAL MATTERS.

Fascinating reading for anyone interested in languages and their origins. 600 languages are identified and 200 are individually described with sample passages and English translations. Also includes a country by country survey and a description of the major language families. Index, tables, 384pp, x, UK. ROUTLEDGE, 0415250048

French edition. A very thorough introduction to African languages and linguistics, covering typology, structure and sociolinguistics. Text in French. BNS, notes, refs, index, 472pp, FRANCE. KARTHALA.

New in paperback. More than forty years ago it was demonstrated that the African continent can be divided into four distinct language families. Research on African languages has accordingly been preoccupied with reconstructing and understanding similarities across these families. This has meant that an interest in other kinds of linguistic relationship, such as whether structural similarities and dissimilarities among African languages are the result of contact between these languages, has never been the subject of major research. This 2007 book shows that such similarities across African lan-guages are more common than is widely believed. It provides a broad perspective on Africa as a linguistic area, as well as an analysis of specific linguistic regions. In order to have a better understand-ing of African languages, their structures, and their history, more information on these contact-induced relationships is essential to understanding Africa's linguistic geography, and to reconstructing its history and prehistory. 390pp, UK. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

This volume represents a selection of 25 peer reviewed papers from the 33rd Annual Conference on African Linguistics held in March 2002 at Ohio University in Athens. The papers cover language acquisition, syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology, historical linguistics, as well as language use and function in Africa making proposals concerning the proper analysis and representation of linguistic information. Refs, maps, diags, table, x, 335pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

Overview of developments within the field of multilingualism as well as essays on machine translation, computer aided translation, electronic language management, localisation, and text mining and local interfaces. Tables, charts, 184pp, SOUTH AFRICA. J.L. VAN SCHAIK.

2005 062702601X Paperback

Aims to provide data on various aspects of negation in West African languages. Although the topics addressed here reflect a great diversity of negation patterns, the following typological features have been identified to be prominent in this region: conflict or even incompatibility between negation and focus, use of other indirect means of negating non-indicative mood (covered under the term 'Prohibitive'), different negation patterns in different Tense-Aspect-Moods (e.g. Imperfective vs. Perfective), lack of negative indefinites, and disjunctive negative marking (often referred to as 'double negation'). The articles presented here show that area factors have played a significant role in the development of negation strategies in the languages of West Africa and beyond. 368pp, NETHERLANDS. JOHN BENJAMINS.

Follow-up study to his 2002 TOWARDS A LINGUISTIC HISTORY OF AFRICA. In dictionary format across two slim volumes. 110pp, UK. JOSEPH BIDDULPH.

2006 1897999542 Pamphlet

Examines ebonics and African-American speech patterns for remnants of African Languages. Index, bib, notes, refs, b/w photographs, 144pp, UK. KARNAK HOUSE.

2003 187259607X Paperback

Clear and practical guide to the sounds and sound systems of African languages by one the pioneers of their serious, scientific study. Phonetic summaries are included on Ewe, Yoruba, Fante, Bamabara, Ganda, Zulu, Nuer and Dinka. Well illustrated with diagrams and includes 24 pages of appendices on the practical orthography of African languages. First printed in 1933. Index, diags, figs, tables, xxxvii, 227pp, UK. KEGAN PAUL INTERNATIONAL.

1990 1933 0710302959 Paperback

Examines the link between language and identity within a socio-linguistic framework at the border between Nigeria and Benin. Index, bib, 292pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS

Analysis of modernisation informed by the place of language in education, health, the economy and governance in the African context. It paints a wide canvas of Africa in its different facets, and shows how language is used as an instrument to deny access to socio-economic and political emancipation. Bib, notes, 227pp, UK. MULTILINGUAL MATTERS.

Bari is a member of a larger language family known as Nilotic spoken in six African countries, namely: the Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Basing his studies on recorded oral traditions and with the help of historical comparative techniques, this study attempts to define who the Bari are and to trace their ancestry and their migratory routes using oral tradition, language, religion, values, customs and institutions. 184pp, KENYA. NAIROBI UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Offers 21 articles dealing with diverse topics in this domain of African comparative linguistics research. It comprises a representative selection of present-day Niger-Congo research, with a special focus on Bantu and Mande. The contributions are subdivided in 7 thematic chapters: 'Niger-Congo', 'Mande', 'Bantu: classification', 'Bantu: Vocabulary', 'Bantu: Phonology', 'Bantu: Morphology', and 'Bantu: Syntax'. BNS, bib, 450pp, BELGIUM. ROYAL MUSEUM FOR CENTRAL AFRICA.

The twenty-one papers that make up this volume reflect the broad perspective of African linguistic typology studies today. Where previous volumes would present language material from a very restricted area and perspective, the present contributions reflect the global interest and orientation of current African linguistic studies. The studies are nearly all implicational in nature. Based upon a detailed survey of a particular linguistic phenomenon in a given language or language area conclusions are drawn about the general nature about this phenomenon in the languages of Africa and beyond. Languages under discussion include: Somali, Berber, Ndonga, Kwnayama, Kwangali, Hausa and Emai. Indexes, 426pp, NETHERLANDS. JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING CO.

A valuable collection of articles spanning a range of topics in the field of empirical and theoretical linguistics in Africa. Refs, tables, 420pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS, 0865434638

1995 Paperback

Fourteen essays that offer a comprehensive analysis of the history, fate and promise of African languages. Arguments centre around the need to express African experiences in African languages and the political implications of this. Index, refs, 205pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

2002 1897999364 Paperback