• CONTEXTUALISING AFRICAN LANGUAGE DYNAMICS OF CHANGE

CONTEXTUALISING AFRICAN LANGUAGE DYNAMICS OF CHANGE

: Wolff (H.) & Roux (J.) eds.

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295pp., paperback, African Sun Media, Stellenbosch, 2025

ISBN: 9781991260574

 

This collection focuses on the sociocultural and historical dynamics of African languages, with a geographic focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, and is organised around two interconnected themes: African Language Dynamics of Change and African Language Data Management and Technological Challenges

The authors were selected from among the more than 200 participants of the International African Languages Association of Southern Africa Congress that took place in Stellenbosch in September/October 2022, hosted by the University of the Western Cape with support from the Pan South African Language Board. 

"This book delves into the intricate dimensions of African languages, highlighting their sociocultural and historical evolution amidst modern challenges, Focused on sub-Saharan Africa, it gathers scholars' insights combining linguistic expertise with personal experiences to explore language dynamics ranging from historical reconstructions to digital processing. Drawing from recent research, authors reveal the interplay between language and societal shifts, including colonial legacies and decolonial discourses. Organised into two parts, it covers language fluidity, technological challenges, and contemporary issues. Overall, it serves as a guide for scholars and policymakers, advocating for recognition of indigenous languages' role on shaping decolonial futures." Professor Sonia Bosch, Department of African Languages, UNISA

H. Ekkehard Wolff is Emeritus Professor (Chair of African Linguistics) at Leipzig University, Germany, an Extraordinary Professor of African Language Studies at the University of the Western Cape, and a Visiting Professor at Rhodes University.

Justus C. Roux is Emeritus Professor (Department of African Languages) at Stellenbosch University, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, and Visiting Professor as a Mercator Fellow at the University of Stuttgart, Germany (Institute for Computational Linguistics). He is the co-founder and was the first Director of the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources, and currently acts as South Africa's official representative in a European consortium for the development of multilingual language resources (CLARIN-ERIC).