The role of missionaries in the development of African languages
The role of missionaries in the development of African languages
edited by Kwesi K. Prah
- Cape Town Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS) 2009
- 264 pages
- CASAS book series 66 .
Includes bibliographical references
"Most of the contributors suggest that, much as the work of these missionary groups laid the foundations for the literary rendering of African languages, the wider object of African education was not their principal aim. The central purpose of missionary endeavours was to use African languages to win African souls for Christianity. Missionary approaches to the writing of African languages have also, because of rivalries and the unsystematic selection of these languages and dialectal variants for literary expression, after decades of often hard work, created classificatory confusion, multiplication of ethnicities and effectively an African Tower of Babel"
9781920447281 1920447288
African languages--Religious aspects
Language and education--Africa
Writing--History--Africa
Literacy--Africa
Native language and education--Africa
Missions--Study and teaching--Africa
Includes bibliographical references
"Most of the contributors suggest that, much as the work of these missionary groups laid the foundations for the literary rendering of African languages, the wider object of African education was not their principal aim. The central purpose of missionary endeavours was to use African languages to win African souls for Christianity. Missionary approaches to the writing of African languages have also, because of rivalries and the unsystematic selection of these languages and dialectal variants for literary expression, after decades of often hard work, created classificatory confusion, multiplication of ethnicities and effectively an African Tower of Babel"
9781920447281 1920447288
African languages--Religious aspects
Language and education--Africa
Writing--History--Africa
Literacy--Africa
Native language and education--Africa
Missions--Study and teaching--Africa