LANGUAGE
Open Access e-Books
(See also: Arts & Culture;)
*NOTE: Some titles in these lists are not formally Open Access, but all are free (no fee for e-access)
Die Afrikaans van die Kaapse Moslems
(authors: Achmat Davids & Hein Willemse)
Publisher: Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans (SBA)
Year of publication: 2020 (2nd edition)
FREE DOWNLOAD: https://sbafrikaans.co.za/sba-publikasies/
Hierdie publikasie is ’n verwerking van die boek The Afrikaans of the Cape Muslims from 1815 to 1915 (Protea Book House, 2011), deur Achmat Davids (geredigeer deur Hein Willemse en Suleman Dangor en vertaal deur Danie C. Botha).
[Uit die Voorwoord deur Hein Willemse:]
Achmat Davids (1939-1998) [...] was ’n aktivis vir maatskaplike vooruitgang — as gemeenskapswerker, as dosent en as geskiedenis- en taalnavorser. Sy betrokkenheid by verskeie organisasies en sy verbintenis met die Bo-Kaap teen die hange van Tafelberg en die Boorhaanol-moskee het sy belangstelling in die geskiedenis van die buurt en dié van die Moslemgemeenskap geprikkel. [...]
In die loop van sy navorsing kom Davids agter Afrikaans is onlosmaaklik verbind aan die Kaapse Moslemgemeenskap, en later, in opdrag van die Boorhaanol-moskee, doen hy navorsing oor dié kwessie. Hy kom agter sy gemeenskapslede se Afrikaans is naas Hollands deels gevorm in Suidoos-Asië, die Indiese subvasteland en in die mond van inheemse mense. Mense wat uit dié verre wêrelddele gekom het, was soms geletterde ballinge of volwassenes wat om die een of ander rede as slawe verkoop is. Hulle het Asiatiese tale soos Boeginees, Maleis, Tamil, Soenda en Soelawesie gepraat. Hierdie tale het ook in Kaaps-Hollands en dus in Afrikaans neerslag gevind.
[...] Davids stel ons in The Afrikaans of the Cape Muslims bekend aan ’n onbekende rykdom van tekste in Arabiese skrif, aan geskrifte van Imams en aan politieke pamflette en die skryfsels van politici en gewone mense. Die bekendste hiervan is Abubaker Effendi se godsdienstige handleiding Bajaan Oedien, wat rondom die 1860’s in Arabiese skrif geskryf en in 1877 gepubliseer is. Dit is een van die oudste publikasies in Afrikaans. Van Davids se belangrikste insigte is dat die plaaslike skrywers hulle Arabiese skrif moes aanpas om die sprekers se uitspraak presies weer te gee, dat hulle reeds ’n vroeë vorm van die Kaapse kontaktaal beoefen het en dat hul geskrewe weergawes van die spreektaal só presies was dat dit vandag feitlik as fonetiese “klankopnames” van vroeë Afrikaans gereken kan word.
Davids het in 1992 as trustee in die raad van die Stigting vir Afrikaans gedien, die voorganger van die Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans (SBA). Volgens Die Burger van 24 Augustus 1992 wou hy sien dat “Afrikaans in ’n toekomstige Suid-Afrika voortleef” en dat “Afrikaans en die Afrika-tale nader aan mekaar gebring moet word”. Sy lewe lank wou hy mense uit verskillende omgewings en agtergronde bymekaar bring deur onbekende ervarings en geskiedenisse te deel en die waardevolle bydrae van elkeen te erken, veral die belewing van diegene wat in die verlede ontken is. [...]
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A history of English
(authors: Míša Hejná & George Walkden)
Publisher: Language Science Press.
Year of publication: 2022
FREE DOWNLOAD: https://langsci-press.org/catalog/book/346
Where does today’s English language come from? This book takes its readers on a journey back in time, from present-day varieties to the Old English of Beowulf and beyond. Written for students with little or no background in linguistics, and reflecting the latest scholarship, it showcases the variation and change present throughout the history of English, and includes numerous exercises and sample texts for every period.
The reverse-chronological approach taken by this book sets it apart from all existing textbooks of the last fifty years. Innovative features also include its focus on variation, multilingualism and language contact, its use of texts from outside the literary canon, and its inclusion of case studies from syntax, sociophonetics and historical pragmatics.
Reviews:
"[..] [V]ery importantly, the book will surely still have a significant legacy in decades to come in the form of scholars and teachers of the History of the English Language, as well as simple enthusiasts for the subject, who will have had their interest aroused by this very readable and enjoyable book. As an introductory textbook, it works extremely well. [...]"
– Review on Lingoblog by Peter Trudgill published August 12, 2022
"[...] A history of English is incredibly readable. Its introductory page clearly outlines the book’s purpose and scope. With the book’s signature humour, key concepts and issues are reiterated again and again, helping students remember what needs to be remembered. Being a stand-alone textbook, the book is intentional in operationalizing its definitions and in delimiting its scope. It provides sufficient information to pique the interest of readers without inundating them with extraneous information. Instead, it points readers to other literature for further readings. Moreover, the book incorporates multimodal forms like images, indexes, pointers, infographics, and colourful diagrams which altogether make for an engaging read. [...]
– Review on LinguistList by Portia Dede Opare published January 18, 2023
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J.C. Steyn en Afrikaans
: 'n Viering
Publisher: SunBonani Scholar
Year of publication: 2019
FREE DOWNLOAD: http://doi.org/10.18820/9781928424338
Met J.C. Steyn en Afrikaans – ’n viering huldig ’n aantal bekende (Afrikaanse) taal- en letterkundiges en digters vir J.C. (Jaap) Steyn aan die begin van die negende dekade van sy lewe, maar ook die taal wat hy met sy lewenswerk gedien het. In veral die vakkundige bydraes word sy akademiese werk – as taalkundige, taalhistorikus, biograaf, digter en kreatiewe skrywer – belig. Die afwisseling van taalkundige, letterkundige en skeppende bydraes wil iets weergee van die verskeidenheid van Jaap Steyn se lewenswerk.
Die briefwisseling tussen Steyn en prof. Elize Botha (1973 tot 1991) is die enigste plek waar Steyn self uitvoerig aan die woord gestel word. Dit betref ’n tydperk waarin van sy belangrikste werksaamhede as kreatiewe skrywer plaasgevind het. Steyn se briewe getuig van sy gebruiklike deeglikheid, maar ook van sy eiesoortige taalvernuf, persoonlike nederigheid en oopheid vir kritiek. In baie van die skeppende bydraes word juis op hierdie persoonlikheidseienskappe gefokus én op die onvermydelike sloping wat die ouderdom meebring.
Dit is opvallend dat baie van die taalkundige bydraes aspekte belig waaroor Steyn self uitvoerig gepubliseer het en soos ’n goue draad loop deur sy taalkundige werk: die geskiedenis van Standaardafrikaans en die stryd om die erkenning van Afrikaans as selfstandige, amptelik erkende, en deeglik gestandaardiseerde taal, asook die fokus op identiteit, taalverandering en taalhouding.
In letterkundige bydraes weer is dit opvallend hoeveel daarvan konsentreer op die “grens-gegewe”: selfdoding, die periferale situasie van homoseksuele en bejaardes, die komplekse verhouding tussen outeur en karakter in die biografie, kultuurgrensoorskrydings en grensdeurbreking op die terreine van die narratologie en genre.
Inhoudsopgawe [Contents page]:
Woord vooraf: Waaroor, en waarom, hierdie boek?
Angelique van Niekerk, H.P. (Hennie) van Coller, Bernard Odendaal
’n Voorspel: Behoedsame skaafwerk: Die briefwisseling tussen Elize Botha en Jaap Steyn
H.P. (Hennie) van Coller
Hoofstuk 1: Die vergete Verlore vader van J.C. Steyn
Chris van der Merwe
Tussenspel 1: Twee terugblikgedigte vir J.C. Steyn
Heinrich Matthee, Corlietha Swart
Hoofstuk 2: Toe die Derde Afrikaanse Woordelys en Spelreëls die eerste Afrikaanse woordelys en spelreëls was
Ernst Kotzé, Christo (Janse) van Rensburg
Tussenspel 2
Daniel Hugo
Hoofstuk 3: Afrikaanse spitse op die leksikografiese landskap
Rufus Gouws
Tussenspel 3
Pirow Bekker
Hoofstuk 4: 'n Sosiolinguistiese bespreking van die taalgebruiksvergestalting van bejaardheid in Elsa Joubert se Spertyd
Annette de Wet
Tussenspel 4
Hans du Plessis
Hoofstuk 5: Institusionele taalbeleid en akademiese taalbeleid
: Versoenbaar binne taal-in-onderwysbeplanning?
Theodorus du Plessis
Tussenspel 5: Twee klaarpraatgedigte
Bernard Odendaal, Johann de Lange
Hoofstuk 6: Geskiedskrywing en beskrywing van Afrikaans
: Wat is daar nog te sê?
Wannie Carstens
Tussenspel 6
Joan Hambidge
Hoofstuk 7: Die identiteit van die verbeelde Afrikaanssprekende gemeenskap soos vergestalt in
gedrukte advertensies uit kommersiële tydskrifte
Angelique van Niekerk
Tussenspel 7
H.P. (Hennie) van Coller
Hoofstuk 8: Representasie as strategiese posisionering
: J.C. Steyn se biografieë van Piet Cillié en M.E.R.
H.P. (Hennie) van Coller
Tussenspel 8
Hein Viljoen
Hoofstuk 9: Oorskryding van kultuurgrense
: S.J. du Toit, die koningin van Skeba en Egipte
Hein Viljoen
Hoofstuk 10: ’n Argument vir verraad en verset
: J.C. Steyn se Dagboek van ’n verraaier, dramatologies gelees
Anthea van Jaarsveld
Naskrif: Oor die bydraers tot hierdie boek
Angelique van Niekerk, H.P. (Hennie) van Coller, Bernard Odendaal
Register
Angelique van Niekerk, H.P. (Hennie) van Coller, Bernard Odendaal
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Meaning, Life and Culture
: In conversation with Anna Wierzbicka
Publisher: ANU Press
Year of publication: 2020
FREE DOWNLOAD (whole book or chapters): http://doi.org/10.22459/MLC.2020
This book is dedicated to Anna Wierzbicka, one of the most influential and innovative linguists of her generation. Her work spans a number of disciplines, including anthropology, cultural psychology, cognitive science, philosophy and religious studies, as well as her home base of linguistics. She is best known for the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach to meaning—a versatile tool for exploring ‘big questions’ concerning the diversity and universals of people’s experience in the world.
In this volume, Anna Wierzbicka’s former students, old and current colleagues, ‘kindred spirits’ and ‘sparring partners’ engage with her ideas and diverse body of work. These authors cover topics from the grammar of action verbs to cross-cultural pragmatics, and over 30 languages from around the world are represented.
The chapters in Part 1 focus on the NSM approach and cover four themes: lexico-grammatical semantics, cultural keywords, semantics of nouns, and emotion. In Part 2, the contributors connect with a meaning-based approach from their own intellectual perspectives, including syntax, anthropology, cognitive linguistics and sociolinguistics.
The deep humanistic perspective, wide-ranging themes and interdisciplinary nature of Wierzbicka’s research are reflected in the contributions. The common thread running through all chapters is the primacy of meaning to the understanding of language and culture.
Contents page:
Preliminary pages
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Contributors
Introduction – Zhengdao Ye and Helen Bromhead
Part I: Meaning, life and culture: The Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach
Prototypes, polysemy and constructional semantics: The lexicogrammar of the English verb climb – Cliff Goddard
The comparative semantics of verbs of ‘opening’: West Africa vs Oceania – Felix K. Ameka and Deborah Hill
Gezellig: A Dutch cultural keyword unpacked – Bert Peeters
Royal semantics: Linguacultural reflections on the Danish address pronoun De – Carsten Levisen
The Singlish interjection bojio – Jock Onn Wong
The semantics of bushfire in Australian English – Helen Bromhead
The semantics of migrant in Australian English – Zhengdao Ye
The semantics of verbs of visual aesthetic appreciation in Russian – Anna Gladkova
Christian values embedded in the Italian language: A semantic analysis of carità – Gian Marco Farese
The semantics of two loanwords in Navarrese Spanish – Mónica Aznárez-Mauleón
TIME in Portuguese saudade and other words of longing – Zuzanna Bułat Silva
Lost in translation: A semantic analysis of no da in Japanese – Yuko Asano-Cavanagh
Part II: Meaning, life and culture: Perspectives
Locating ‘mind’ (and ‘soul’) cross-culturally – Frances Morphy and Howard Morphy
Teknocentric kin terms in Australian languages – Harold Koch
Showing and not telling in a sign language – John Haiman
Games that people play: Capitalism as a game – Annabelle Mooney
Our ordinary lives: Pathways to a more human-oriented linguistics – John Newman
On defining parts of speech with Generative Grammar and NSM – Avery D. Andrews
CUT-verbs of the Oceanic language Teop: A critical study of collecting and analysing data in a language documentation project – Ulrike Mosel
The depiction of sensing events in English and Kalam – Andrew Pawley
Russian language-specific words in the light of parallel corpora – Alexei Shmelev
‘Sense of privacy’ and ‘sense of elbow’: English vs Russian values and communicative styles – Tatiana Larina
On the semantics of cup – Keith Allan
Where we PART from NSM: Understanding Warlpiri yangka and the Warlpiri expression of part-hood – David Nash and David P. Wilkins
Envoi
Anna Wierzbicka’s life – Kevin Windle and Mary Besemeres
Index
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Multilingualism and the Public Sector in South Africa
(author: Munene Mwaniki)
Publisher: SunBonani Scholar
Year of publication: 2012
FREE DOWNLOAD: https://doi.org/10.18820/9781920383251
[From the Preface:]
This book contributes to the discourse on language in South Africa with a specific focus on multilingualism and the public sector. the public sector generally includes all institutions and organisations which operate within the three branches of government; are engaged in the implementation of government policy and the administration of laws within the three spheres of government; and are ultimately accountable and responsible to a political authority. the public sector therefore includes all national state departments and provincial administrations, public enterprises, municipalities, institutions of higher learning, research agencies and a number of control and regulatory institutions which fall within the different branches and spheres of government. the book argues for and demonstrates the relevance of putting into place appropriate language policies to help the majority of the people of South Africa take an active part in nation-building endeavours; processes in which the public sector is key. the discussion tackles the intricacies of the public sector from a constitutional; legislative and policy; human resource and organisational culture; capital and infrastructure point of view; and builds a case for the provision of multilingual services in the public sector – as the benchmark of public sector service provision.
I hope and trust that the book will make a modest contribution to the debate around the language question in South Africa. I extend a word of gratitude to the peer reviewers for their invaluable suggestions and insights. I am deeply grateful to the Office of the Dean – Faculty of the Humanities and the Directorate for Research Development at the University of the Free State for financing the publication of the book. Lastly, my heartfelt thanks to the editorial and publishing team at Sun MeDia Bloemfontein for their cooperation and sterling efforts in getting the book published timeously.
Munene Mwaniki
March 2012
Contents (summary):
Preface
Ch. 1: Introducing the Discourses on Multilingualism and the Public Sector in South Africa
Ch. 2: Multilingualism and the Public Sector in South Africa: An overview
Ch. 3: Multilingualism and South Africa’s Constitutionalism
Ch. 4: Legislative and Policy imperatives for Multilingualism in South Africa’s Public Sector
Ch. 5: Human Resource and Organisational Culture Imperatives for Multilingualism in South Africa’s Public Sector
Ch. 6: Capital and Infrastructure Imperatives for Multilingualism in South Africa’s Public Sector
Ch. 7: Multilingual Service Delivery: The benchmark for South Africa’s Public Sector Service Delivery
Ch. 8: Multilingualism and South Africa’s Public sector: Opportunities and Challenges
Acknowledgements
Preface
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Of the same breath
: Indigenous animal and place names
(author: Lucie A. Möller)
Publisher: SunBonani Scholar
Year of publication: 2017
FREE DOWNLOAD: http://doi.org/10.18820/9781928424031
Of the Same Breath opens the door to a better understanding of why and how the animals and places of southern Africa have been given the names they have today. The vast reaches of the information provided in this book have been drawn together to create a veritable cornucopia of answers to the old question of how names originated. In this linguistically thought-provoking book, readers will be guided through the origins of animal names and toponyms, from the coastline of South Africa to the northern border of Namibia, and from the mighty elephant to the humble grasshopper.
Reviews:
"The well-known environmentalist Dave Pepler has captured the essence of this excellent publication in his statement that ‘Lucie Möller’s glorious exploration of these animal origins stands proud, with the work of Bleek, as reminder and tribute to voices now silent’. As the title indicates, this book focuses on indigenous names of animals, and on these names as components of place names. A strong but subtle bond is revealed between indigenous people and the animals which not only provided them with food and clothing, but with which they shared the natural habitat and the very air they breathed.
The names which the Bushmen gave to the animals reveal their keen observation and prowess at reproducing their vocalisations and other characteristics, first as common nouns and then as proper names for these creatures. [...]
The work uncovers a wealth of linguistic and zoological information, elucidates processes of language contact and acculturation, and highlights the relationship between the animals, the people who named them, and the places that were named after them. These names and their analysis make it possible to identify and reconstruct words from ancient and extinct indigenous languages, coined by peoples who have long since disappeared. Incorporating comparative vocabularies from so wide a variety of different languages, this book provides the material and methodology that will pave the way for future generations of researchers and scholars to refine this and similar topics, and to solve perennial issues of onomastic, linguistic and other disciplines.
A wide range of zoological, onomastic, linguistic, geographical and other relevant sources was consulted, but the unique contribution made by this work is the recognition, recovery and preservation of ancient fossilized Bushman words and names for animals, birds, reptiles and insects, the innovative determination of their origins and meanings, where necessary by comparison with Bantu equivalents, and acknowledging their employment as “evolutionary onymic formatives”.
Lucie Möller’s masterly work is timeless in the sense of its exploring almost forgotten sources and threading together linguistic and toponymic aspects of names from endangered and vanishing languages, and information on the cultures from which they originated, together with a presentation of the bio-diverse, natural world of animals that are threatened by extinction.
It is also timeous; in the words of an anonymous referee:
The global loss of biodiversity is equaled by the loss of the rich early vocabulary of our indigenous cultures, which is fast disappearing. Work of this nature is what O.E. Wilson has been pleading for all his life, since biophilia is not simply our love of nature in all its complexity, but also the nurturing and conservation of the related fields of its rich cultural diversity.
In view of its onomastic, scientific and cultural content, this book should find a place in the libraries of schools and universities, nature conservation institutions, archives and the like, not only in southern Africa, but worldwide.
--Peter E Raper, Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment, University of the Free State.
Book review in Nomina Africana, 2018 32(2): 107–110.
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Ons Almal Loop op Dieselfde Aarde : Idiome /
Sonke Sihamba Emhlabeni Ofanayo : Amaqhalo /
We All Walk on the Same Earth : Idioms /
Rotlhe re Tsamaya mo Lefatsheng le le Tshwanang : Maele
Publisher: Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans (SBA)
Year of publication: 2015
Language note: Text in Afrikaans, isiXhosa, English and Setswana
Scroll down for various translations (Afrikaans, isiXhosa, English and Setswana)
Idiome en spreekwoorde is vaste uitdrukkings wat eie en uniek aan ’n bepaalde taal en kultuur is. Elke taal en kultuur en die gebruike binne daardie spesifieke konteks gee ’n unieke betekenis aan hierdie uitdrukkings wat soms vir mense uit ander kulture vreemd klink.
Verskeie idiome en spreekwoorde verwys na die natuur en die omgewing. Dit dui op ’n hegte verhouding tussen die mens en die natuur. Juis daarom het ons die tema “aarde” vir die idiome en spreekwoorde in hierdie boek gekies.
Met hierdie tema wil ons die unieke verskynsel vier dat verskillende tale en kulture ’n gemene deler in die natuur vind. Ons wil ook erkenning gee aan die feit dat die aarde ’n lewensbelangrike rol in ons elkeen se bestaan speel. Die idiome en uitdrukkings in hierdie boek herinner ons aan die uiteenlopende geografiese landskappe van Suid-Afrika en aan ons gesamentlike verantwoordelikheid om ons omgewing te bewaar.
Die vier tale in Ons almal loop op dieselfde aarde – Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Engels en Setswana – bied elk ’n reeks idiome waarvan die wortels binne elke spesifieke taalkonteks lê. Ons het telkens probeer om ’n ekwivalent vir elke idioom in die ander tale te voorsien. Omdat idiome en spreekwoorde so diep binne ’n sekere kultuur gewortel is, moes ons egter in sommige gevalle tevrede wees met ekwivalente wat slegs rakelings ooreenstem. In hierdie gevalle het ons ons deur die betrokke tema van die idiome laat lei.
Die doel van hierdie sakgids is om veeltaligheid te bevorder deurdat ons die idiome en spreekwoorde van Suid-Afrika se inheemse tale bewaar. Terselfdertyd wil ons ’n harmonieuse verhouding tussen die verskillende kulture bevorder deurdat die vier verskillende tale se sprekers by die ander tale kan leer op watter kreatiewe maniere húlle die aarde in idiome en spreekwoorde gebruik.
Ons almal loop op dieselfde aarde is die tweede SBA-projek in die idiomereeks oor die vier natuurelemente. Die eerste weergawe het gefokus op water; hierdie uitgawe fokus op die aarde, en wind en vuur sal in die toekoms die lig sien. Ons het Setswana in hierdie sakgids bygevoeg omdat dit ’n algemene gebruikstaal is in die Noord-Kaap met sy oorvloed grond en klip.
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Izaci namaqhalo ziintetha ezifana zodwa kwaye ziyinxalenye yolwimi ngalunye nenkcubeko yalo. Ezinye izaci namaqhalo ziye zixhomekeke kakhulu kwizalathiso ngendalo. Ulwimi ngalunye, inkcubeko kunye namasiko zizinto ke ezi ezithi ixesha elininzi zicacise ngentetha leyo phantsi kwemeko esetyenziswa kuyo kwaye ke ngamanye amaxesha ivakale ingaqhelekanga.
Ngale ncwadi yezaci namaqhalo enomxholo omalunga nomhlaba, sifuna ukubhiyozela uhlobo ezihlangana ngalo ngokufanayo kwindalo iilwimi neenkcubeko ezahlukileyo kwaye sifunde nokubaluleka komhlaba kwimpilo yethu. Oku kusikhumbuza ngokwahluka kwembonakalo-mhlaba yoMzantsi Afrika kwakunye noxanduva esinalo sisonke ekulondolozeni okusingqongileyo.
Amacandelo amane eelwimi – isiXhosa, isiNgesi, iSetswana kunye nesi-Afrikaans – aqulunqwe anezaci namaqhalo aneengcambu eziphuma kwimeko olusetyenziswa kuyo ulwimi olo. Bezikhe zakhona iinzame apho bekubonelelwa kwezinye iilwimi ngesaci neqhalo solunye ulwimi kuba kujongwe ukufana kwezi zaci namaqhalo. Kodwa ke, kuba izaci namaqhalo zinengcambu kwinkcubeko ethile, kwezinye iimeko siye saneliseka ngokubonelela ngezaci namaqhalo athande ukufana okanye ukuvumelana kwaye abe ewulungele kakuhle umxholo esicangcatha phezu kwawo.
Injongo yesi sikhokelo sepokotho kukukhuthaza ulwazi lweelwimi ezininzi nokwakha isizwe ukuze abo bathetha ezi lwimi zine bakwazi ukufunda kwezinye iilwimi ngendlela yobuyili ekusebenziseni umhlaba kwizaci namaqhalo. Kungoko kubalulekile ukuba ezi ntetha (izaci namaqhalo) zilondolozwe kwiilwimi zethu zemveli, zibe yinxalenye yelifa lelwimi zethu.
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Idioms and proverbs are set expressions unique to a specific language and culture. Each language and culture and the customs within that specific context give a unique meaning to these idioms, which sometimes sound strange to people from other cultures.
Many idioms and proverbs are drawn from nature and the environment. This reveals the close relationship between man and nature. For this reason we chose the theme “earth” for the idioms and proverbs in this book.
With this theme we want to celebrate the unique phenomenon that different languages and cultures find common ground in nature. We also want to acknowledge the fact that the earth plays a vital role in our very existence. The idioms and proverbs in this book remind us of the diverse geographical landscapes of South Africa and our shared responsibility to care for our environment.
The four languages in We all walk on the same earth – Afrikaans, isiXhosa, English and Setswana – each offers a selection of idioms with their roots in the context of the specific language. We tried our best to find an equivalent for every idiom in the other languages. However, because idioms and proverbs are so deeply rooted in a particular culture, we sometimes had to be content with equivalents that are only remotely similar to the original. In these cases we were led by the theme of the specific idiom.
The aim of this pocket guide is to promote multilingualism by preserving the idioms and proverbs of South Africa’s indigenous languages. At the same time we want to promote a harmonious bond between the different cultures by giving the speakers of the four languages the opportunity to learn in which creative ways the earth is used in the idioms and proverbs of the other languages.
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Maele le diane ke mafoko a a tlhaolegileng a puo le setso se se rileng. Puo nngwe le nngwe le setso le ngwao mo seemong se se rileng e tlhalosa maele ano, a fa gongwe a utlwalang e le mafoko a a sa tlwaelegang mo bathong ba ditso tse dingwe.
Maele a le mantsi le diane di thailwe mo tlhagong le tikologo. Seno se senola kafa motho le tlhago e leng diya thoteng di bapile ka teng. Ka gone ke lone lebaka le re tlhophetseng maele le diane setlhogo sa “lefatshe” mo bukeng eno.
Ka setlhogo seno re batla go gopola tsela e e tlhomologileng e dipuo tse di farologaneng le ditso di tshwanang ka teng mo tlhagong.
Ka metlha re batla go bontsha fa re dumela boammaaruri jwa gore lefatshe le na le seabe sa botlhokwa thata mo go tsheleng ga rona.
Maele le diane tse di mo bukeng eno di re gopotsa dipopego tse di farologaneng tsa Aforika Borwa le boikarabelo jo rotlhe re nang le jone jwa go tlhokomela tikologo ya rona.
Dipuo tse nné tse di mo bukeng eno ya Rotlhe re tsamaya mo lefatsheng le le tshwanang – Seaforikanse, isiXhosa, Seesemane le Setswana – tsotlhe di naya maele a a farologaneng a a thailweng mo puong ya tsone e e kgethegileng. Re lekile bojotlhe jwa rona go batla maele mangwe le mangwe a a tshwanang le a mo dipuong tse dingwe. Lefa go ntse jalo, ereka maele le diane di thailwe thata mo setsong se se rileng, fa gongwe re ne ra tshwanela go kgotsofalela ditshwani tse di sa tshwaneng le tsa ntlha go le kalo. Mo ditiragalong tseo re kaetswe ke setlhogo sa leele le le rileng.
Boikaelelo jwa kaelonyana eno ke go rotloeletsa go dirisa dipuo tse dintsi ka go somarela maele le diane tsa dipuo tsa ntlha tsa mo Aforika Borwa. Ka nako e e tshwanang re batla gore go nne le tshwaragano gareng ga dingwao tse di farologaneng ka go naya batho ba ba buang dipuo tsotlhe tse nné tshono ya go ithuta gore ke ditsela dife tsa botlhami tse lefatshe le dirisiwang ka tsone mo maeleng le diane tsa dipuo tse dingwe.
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Oral Literature in Africa
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
Year of publication: 2012
Ruth Finnegan’s Oral Literature in Africa was first published in 1970, and since then has been widely praised as one of the most important books in its field. Based on years of fieldwork, the study traces the history of storytelling across the continent of Africa.
This revised edition makes Finnegan’s ground-breaking research available to the next generation of scholars. It includes a new introduction, additional images and an updated bibliography, as well as its original chapters on poetry, prose, "drum language" and drama, and an overview of the social, linguistic and historical background of oral literature in Africa. Oral Literature in Africa has been accessed by hundreds of readers in over 60 different countries, including , , and numerous other African countries.
This volume is complemented by original recordings of stories and songs from the Limba country (Sierra Leone), collected by Finnegan during her fieldwork in the late 1960s, which are are hosted by the World Oral Literature Project and are freely accessible here.
This book is part-funded by an Unglue.it campaign.
REVIEWS:
What is significant about this revised, online edition is that it makes this ground-breaking, seminal work freely available to all who want to use it. This is particularly significant for the African scholar living in an increasingly technologized society on a continent where academics often remain on the periphery of a society consumed by emerging capitalism and political uncertainty. African academics, their universities and libraries are largely under-resourced and can often not afford to purchase hard copies of books. Making this book freely available therefore returns it back to its people on the ground, back to its original home, which underpins the fieldwork represented in the volume. It is now available for the next generation of researchers who will emerge through being influenced by this technologized version of the book.
—Russell H. Kaschula, Journal of African Cultural Studies, (2013) Volume 25/1, 141-44.
In ‘Oral Literature in Africa’, Ruth Finnegan explores themes common to anthropology, linguistics and sociology, debunking commonly held conceptions of the time and reestablishing the relevance of studying the oral arts of Africa with as much rigour as any other form of artistic expression.
—Book review at http://manenomatamu.wordpress.com/tag/ruth-finnegan/
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Social Factors in the Latinization of the Roman West
(Series: Oxford Studies in Ancient Documents)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year of publication: 2023
FREE DOWNLOAD: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/social-factors-in-the-latinization-of-the-roman-west-9780198887294
Latinization is a strangely overlooked topic. Historians have noted it has been 'taken for granted' and viewed as an unremarkable by-product of 'Romanization', despite its central importance for understanding the Roman provincial world, its life, and languages. This volume aims to fill the gap in our scholarship. Expert contributors have been selected to create a multi-disciplinary volume with a thematic approach to the vast subject, tackling administration, army, economy, law, mobility, religion (local and imperial religions and Christianity), social status, and urbanism. They situate the phenomena of Latinization, literacy, and bi- and multilingualism within local and broader social developments and draw together materials and arguments that have not before been coordinated in a single volume. The result is a comprehensive guide to the topic, which offers original and more experimental work. The sociolinguistic, historical, and archaeological contributions reinforce, expand, and sometimes challenge our vision of Latinization and lay the foundations for future explorations.
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read on Oxford Academic and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.
Table of Contents:
1: Social Dimensions of Latinization – Alex Mullen
2: Latinization, Citizenship, and the Epigraphic Habit – Francisco Beltrán Lloris
3: Cities, Epigraphies, and Latinization: A Sociolinguistic View on the Hispaniae – Pieter Houten
4: Latin, Literacy, and the Roman Economy – Andrew Wilson
5: The Role of the Non-elite in Spreading Latin in Roman Britain – Alison E. Cooley
6: Mobility, Roads, and Milestones: Aspects of the Use of Latin in the Roman Empire – Anne Kolb
7: Learning Latin in the Roman Army – Michael A. Spiedel
8: The Role of Education in the Latinization of the Roman West – Catherine Wolff
9: Law and Latinization in Rome's Western Provinces – Elizabeth Meyer
10: Religion, Language Maintenance, and Language Shift: Dedications, Cult Places, and Latinization in Roman Gaul – Olivier de Cazanove and María José Estarán Tolosa
11: Christianization and Latinization – Robert Wiśniewski
12: The Attitude of the Roman Emperors towards Language Practices – Bruno Rochette
13: Social Factors in Latinization: Perspectives and Future Challenges – Marietta Horster
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Sonke Sisela Kumfula Omnye
: Izaci namaqhalo malunga namanzi /
Ons Almal Drink Van Dieselfde Stroompie
: Idiome en spreekwoorde oor water /
We All Drink From the Same Stream
: Idioms and proverbs about water
Publisher: Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans (SBA)
Year of publication: 2021
Language note: Text in isiXhosa, Afrikaans and English
Scroll down for various translations (isiXhosa, Afrikaans and English)
INTSHAYELELO:
Izaci namaqhalo ziintetho ezifumaneka kuphela kulwimi ngalunye nakwinkcubeko nganye.
Uninzi lwezaci namaqhalo esiXhosa anentsusa ekwindalo nakokusingqongileyo. Oku kubonisa ubudlelwano umntu anabo nendalo.
Kwinkcubeko yamaXhosa, amanzi adlala indima ebalulekileyo. Angumqondiso wobomi, impilo, imingeni nendalo yomntu.
Eli bathwana lezaci namaqhalo esiXhosa elimalunga ngamanzi neliye lachongelwa le ncwadi, lisikhumbuza ulwimi nenkcubeko yethu etyebileyo ekufuneka sizingce ngazo. Oku kwenza silwazi uxanduva esinalo ekongeni amanzi esinawo ahlale ecocekile kwaye elondolozekile.
Injongo yesi sikhokelo sepokotho kukugcina izithethe zolwimi lwesiXhosa nenkcubeko yamaXhosa ngeelwimi ezimsethethweni ezintathu zaseNtshona Koloni. Kananjalo, sifuna ukuphuhlisa ulwazi lweelwimi ezininzi.
Kwakho, ezi zaci namaqhalo ezimalunga ngamanzi ziye ziqinise ityathanga lovisiswano phakathi kwezi lwiimi nendalo njengoko sibona kule nkcubeko yamaXhosa. Oku kuye kudlale indima enkulu kukhuseleko lwamanzi, kwaye isenze sazi kubaluleke kangakanani ukongela izizukulwana ezizayo amanzi.
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INLEIDING:
Idiome en spreekwoorde is vaste uitdrukkings wat eie en uniek is aan ’n bepaalde taal en kultuur.
Baie isiXhosa-idiome en -spreekwoorde verwys na die natuur en die omgewing. Dit dui op ’n hegte verhouding tussen die mens en die natuur.
Water speel ’n baie belangrike rol in die amaXhosa-kultuur. Dit is ’n simbool van lewe, genesing, uitdagings en die menslike natuur.
Die lys idiome en spreekwoorde oor water uit die amaXhosakultuur wat vir hierdie boek gekies is, herinner ons aan ’n trotse taal- en kultuurerfenis. Dit maak ons bewus van die gesamentlike verantwoordelikheid wat ons het om ons waterbronne skoon te hou en te bewaar.
Die doel van hierdie sakgids is om die oorlewerings van die isiXhosa-taal en die amaXhosa-kultuur in al drie die amptelike tale van die Wes-Kaap te bewaar. Terselfdertyd wil ons veeltaligheid bevorder.
Hierdie idiome en spreekwoorde oor water versterk ook die drie tale se harmonieuse verhouding met die natuur en die omgewing soos dit in die amaXhosa-erfenis na vore kom. Dit lewer daarom ’n groot bydrae tot die beskerming van ons waterbronne. Dit maak ons ook daarvan bewus hoe belangrik dit is om ons waterbronne vir die nageslag te bewaar.
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INTRODUCTION:
Idioms and proverbs are set expressions unique to a specific language and culture.
Many isiXhosa idioms and proverbs are drawn from nature and the environment. It reveals the close relationship between man and nature.
Water plays a very important role in the culture of the amaXhosa. It serves as a symbol of life, healing, challenges and human nature.
The selection of isiXhosa idioms and proverbs about water that were chosen for this book, reminds us of a linguistic and cultural heritage we can be proud of. It makes us aware of the responsibility we share to keep our water resources clean and to protect it.
The aim of this pocket guide is to preserve the traditions of the isiXhosa language and the culture of the amaXhosa in the three official languages of the Western Cape. At the same time we want to promote multilingualism.
These idioms and proverbs about water also strengthen the harmonious bond between the three languages and nature as seen in the amaXhosa culture, thereby making a huge contribution towards the protection of our water resources. It also keeps us aware of how important it is to preserve our water resources for generations to come.
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Voices past and present
: A comparison of Old Cape dialectal, Bushman and Khoikhoi words
(author: Peter E. Raper)
Publisher: SunBonani Scholar
Year of publication: 2020
FREE DOWNLOAD: https://doi.org/10.18820/9781928424499
The preservation of South Africa’s indigenous languages – the extinct Bushman and Khoikhoi languages in particular – is a pressing concern. Voices Past and Present serves as a comprehensive, scholarly and practical source for documenting and preserving some of them. The subcontinent of Africa has been inhabited by Bushman, Khoikhoi and Bantu-speaking peoples for thousands of years, and, for the past few centuries, also by European-speaking peoples. Contact between these peoples brought about changes in the different languages. As a result, modern languages are no longer identical to the original ones, many of which, especially in the case of the Bushman and Khoikhoi languages, have become extinct. Words used in ancient times and recorded long ago often bear no resemblance to their modern counterparts.
In this book, Peter E. Raper provides a detailed investigation of the earliest recordings of words available. Words from Old Cape dialects are compared for correspondences in sound and meaning to words from 29 Bushman languages and dialects, as well as to words from Nama, Koranna, Griqua, !Xuhn, !Xoon, Khwe and N/uu.
Voices Past and Present provides an extensive corpus of words that can be further utilised for the purpose of shedding light on the specific languages from which the recorded words (and names) were derived, on historical distribution of the various groups, on the classification of the different languages and peoples, for determining relationships or otherwise between the different languages, potentially identifying components of place-names and ethnonyms from ancient and extinct languages, and elucidating other matters that have long vexed scholars who have complained about a lack of recorded data.
Contents (summary):
1. Introduction
2. Orthographies
3. Comments
4. Bushman and Khoikhoi equivalents of Old Cape dialectal words
5. Cognate Comparisons
6. Observations and Comments
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APPROVAL DISCLAIMER:
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