The Social and Political History of Southern Africa’s Languages

This book is the first to offer an interdisciplinary and comprehensive reference work on the often-marginalised languages of southern Africa. The authors analyse a range of different concepts and questions, including language and sociality, social and political history, multilingual government, and educational policies. In doing so, they present significant original research, ensuring that the work will remain a key reference point for the subject. This ambitious and wide-ranging edited collection will appeal to students and scholars of southern African languages, sociolinguistics, history and politics. Tomasz Kamusella is Reader at the University of St Andrews, UK. He specializes in language politics and nationalism and has published widely on the topic, including The Palgrave Handbook of Slavic Languages, Identities and Borders (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). Finex Ndhlovu is Associate Professor at the University of New England, Australia. His research specialisms include contemporary linguistic and sociocultural theories of language, identity and sociality in relation to African diaspora communities. His most recent major publication is Becoming an African Diaspora in Australia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). Front Matter ....Pages i-liii Introduction: Linguistic and Cultural Imperialism, Alas (Tomasz Kamusella, Finex Ndhlovu)....Pages 1-11 Afrikaans (Johanita Kirsten)....Pages 13-30 Bemba (Joseph M. Mwansa)....Pages 31-49 Chiikuhane (Ndana Ndana, Andy Chebanne)....Pages 51-63 English in Southern Africa (Finex Ndhlovu, Liqhwa Siziba)....Pages 65-92 Fanakalo (Ellen Hurst)....Pages 93-99 IsiNdebele (Langa Khumalo)....Pages 101-117 Kalanga (Andy Chebanne, Joyce T. Mathangwane, Rose Letsholo-Tafila)....Pages 119-131 Khoekhoegowab (Nama/Damara) (Wilfrid H. G. Haacke)....Pages 133-158 Khoisan Languages of Botswana (Andy Chebanne, Budzani Mogara)....Pages 159-177 Nambya (Maxwell Kadenge)....Pages 179-186 Setswana (Thapelo Otlogetswe, Andy Chebanne)....Pages 187-221 Shekgalagari Language of Botswana (Kemmonye C. Monaka)....Pages 223-244 Shiyeyi (Ndana Ndana, Andy Chebanne)....Pages 245-256 Shona (Maxwell Kadenge)....Pages 257-268 TjeBirwa (Andy Chebanne, Kemmonye Monaka)....Pages 269-281 Tjhetswapong (Kemmonye C. Monaka, Andy Chebanne)....Pages 283-300 Tsotsitaal (Ellen Hurst)....Pages 301-310 Xitsonga in South Africa (Ximbani Eric Mabaso)....Pages 311-330 Yiddish (Veronica Belling)....Pages 331-338 Zimbabwean Sign Language (Maxwell Kadenge, Martin Musengi)....Pages 339-346 Challenging Intellectural Colonialism: The Rarely Noticed Question of Methodological Tribalism in Language Research (Finex Ndhlovu, Tomasz Kamusella)....Pages 347-364 Back Matter ....Pages 365-372 This is the first book to offer an interdisciplinary and comprehensive reference work on the often-marginalised languages of southern Africa. The authors analyse a range of different concepts and questions, including language and sociality, social and political history, multilingual government, and educational policies. In doing so, they present significant original research, ensuring that the work will remain a key reference point for the subject. This ambitious and wide-ranging edited collection will appeal to students and scholars of southern African languages, sociolinguistics, history and politics