Asante Twi is the most widely spoken of the dialects of the Akan language, and Akan is spoken by about forty four percent of Ghana's population as a first language. It is also used as a second language by many others. The author, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, has written the book to introduce a non-Twi beginner to the spoken language, which forms the main focus. Dialogues are as natural and as close to current every day usage as possible.
This dictionary is based on material collected by missionaries at Kesenga Mission in Zambia. In 1901 Edwin Smith began to note each new Ila word, together with illustrative sentences dictated by his Ila informants. Later missionaries continued this practice. In 1959, Gowler found a collection of over 12,000 words with illustrations of how they are used. As the largest collection on the Ila language ever assembled, the dictionary offers much of interest in several fields of study. The language has a consistent agglutinative structure of great sophistication. It is as logical as Latin, and as flexible as Greek. Ila speakers not only reveal their preoccupation with daily existence in village life of a century ago, but a worldview that is sensitive and wryly humorous. Feared in battle and fearful of sprits, hunters of lion and buffalo, polygamous and romantic, ribald in the company of men but highly proper in women's and tender toward children, these are a complex people. Their use of language displays a high regard for the arts of hospitality, conversation, and love, and this people emerge vividly from the pages of this dictionary.
This book is the first general introduction to African languages and linguistics to be published in English. It covers the four major language groupings (Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, Afroasiatic and Khoisan), the core areas of modern theoretical linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax), typology, sociolinguistics, comparative linguistics, and language, history and society. Basic concepts and terminology are explained for undergraduates and nonspecialist readers, but each chapter also provides an overview of the state of the art in its field, and as such will be referred to by more advanced students and general linguists.
Afrikaans, previously one of the two national languages of South Africa, and now one of eleven, has over 6 million speakers. Updated for the new millennium, this compact dictionary now includes comprehensive definitions and idiomatic expressions for its more than 14,000 entries.
What do the enigmatic images on ancient Egyptian artifacts mean? What royal names adorn the walls of some of the world's oldest temples? What kind of lives did the people buried in the ancient tombs lead? The keys to unlock this fascinating civilization lie within the glyphs of their sacred language. Appearing a little before 3,000 B.C., Egyptian hieroglyphs were used for thousands of years to write names, label commodities, commemorate historical events, and convey complex stories. This definitive educational tool provides a systematic, step-by-step approach to learning ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, complete with fun and increasingly challenging exercises and easy-to-reference sign and word lists. By the end of chapter one, readers will begin to decipher simple inscriptions; after completing the entire book, readers will be ready to tackle tomb and temple walls. While learning to decipher the language of the ancient Egyptians, readers will also learn about their history, social structure, and funerary beliefs. An invaluable resource, this book will appeal to amateur Egyptologists, as well as those looking to enhance their museum-going and travel experiences.
Yoruba is the official language of more than 30 million people, who live principally in southwestern Nigeria, parts of Benin Republic, and Togo. It is also used as a language of worship in many countries of the Diaspora, including Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti, where people of Yoruba origin settled during the slave trade. "Beginner's Yorubo is designed for use both as a classroom text and as a self-study guide. Practice dialogues, in combination with grammatical explanations, will aid the student in understanding the basics of the language. Since Yoruba is a tonal language, the author pays special attention to properly explaining pronunciation and to formulating the practice conversations. Each of the 15 lessons contains a vocabulary section that highlights the important aspects of the topic discussed in the chapter. Quizzes and practice exercises are integrated into the lessons to assist learning. Information on various aspects of Yoruba culture, including religion, songs, and stories, completes this work.
This easy to use and up-to-date course in the rapidly-growing Africaans dialect was specially written by an experienced teacher for self-study or class use. The course offers a step-by-step approach to the language that requires no prior knowledge of the language. The favorite choice in personal language learning for language students everywhere, the latest language in the Routledge Colloquials series provides a variety of advantages: * Interactive - lots of exercises for regular practice * Clear - with concise grammar notes * Practical - useful vocabulary and pronunciation guide * Complete - includes answer key and special reference section. As variety of options is the Colloquials trademark, "Colloquial Africaans" can be purchased in several different ways: as a package with the paperback book and cassettes to help you with listening and pronunciation skills, or the paperback or cassettes can be bought on their own.
"Colloquial Swahili" is the ideal introduction to the language. Written by experienced teachers, the course provides a step-by-step approach to the language. no previous knowledge of Swahili is required. Features include: * Pronunciation guide * Lively dialogues * Concise grammar explanations * Lots of exercises with full answer key * English-Swahili and Swahili-English glossaries Learning Swahili has never been so enjoyable! By the end of this rewarding course you will be able to speak, read and write Swahili with confidence. This pack contains the course book and 120 minutes of audio material, provided on both cassettes and CDs. These will help you develop your listening and pronunciation skills.
www.BlackShelfBooks.com 
