LSAL 73: Indices to Bantu languages

Indices to Bantu languages

Jouni Filip Maho

Throughout the history of Bantu language studies, which by now spans some 400 years, many languages (and people) have been mentioned in both specialist and general literature.

The various language names used have varied considerably throughout the years. In fact, it is not always self-evident what language any given name may refer to. Not all authors agree on what is a language and what is a dialect, or how name them. Some names used refer to languages, some to dialects. Some refer to sociolects, secret languages, locations, etc., while others are simply obscure. Consequently, one quite often stumbles on difficulties in trying to work out how any given name relates to other identical, similar or even totally different names.

The present index of Bantu languages offers a tool to keep tabs on this glossonymic diversity. It includes a tabular index of Bantu language names found in the literature organised according to the New Updated Guthrie List (Maho 2003, 2009), an update of Guthries well-known 1971-classification. In addition, there are cross-references to the coding systems of several other Bantu classifications, specifically those of Johnston (1919/22), Doke (Cole 1961), Cope (1971), Henrici (1973), Heine (1973), Heine, Hoff & Vossen (1977), Bastin, Coupez & Man (1999), and SIL14 (2000).

ISBN 9783895866883. LINCOM Studies in African Linguistics 73. 195pp. 2008.