1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910465034603321

Titolo

The Arabic script in Africa : studies in the use of a writing system / / edited by Meikal Mumin, Kees Versteegh

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Boston : , : Brill, , 2014

ISBN

90-04-25680-6

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (420 p.)

Collana

Studies in Semitic languages and linguistics, , 0081-8461 ; ; volume 71

Altri autori (Persone)

MuminMeikal

VersteeghKees <1961->

Disciplina

492.7/11096

Soggetti

Arabic language - Writing

Arabic alphabet

Electronic books.

Africa Languages

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Most of the papers in the present volume are based on presentations at the TASIA (The Arabic Script in Africa-Diffusion, Usage, Diversity and Dynamics of a Writing System) workshop, which took place on April 6-7, 2010, at the University of Cologne, Germany.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

section I. General problems of Arabic-script based traditions -- section II. North Africa -- section III. West Africa -- section IV. East Africa -- section V. South Africa.

Sommario/riassunto

The Arabic script in Africa contains sixteen papers on the past and present use of Arabic script to write African languages. These writing traditions, which are sometimes collectively referred to as Ajami, are discussed for single or multiple languages, with examples from all major linguistic phyla of Africa but one (Khoisan), and from all geographic areas of Africa (North, West, Central, East, and South Africa), as well as a paper on the Ajami heritage in the Americas. The papers analyze (ethno-) historical, literary, (socio-) linguistic, and in particular grammatological aspects of these previously understudied writing traditions and exemplify their range and scope, providing new data for the comparative study of writing systems, literacy in Africa, and the history of (Islam in) Africa.