Gaining a language, losing a language: Korandje from the 12th to the 21st century.
Friday, October 02, 2015
Korandje from the 12th to the 21st century (popular article)
Korandje, the seriously endangered Songhay language of Tabelbala in southwestern Algeria, is a longstanding research interest of mine. As far as I can see, it has the most complicated contact history of any language in the Sahara, with multiple extensive layers of loanwords from each of at least five languages which successively dominated the region. I recently wrote a short summary of the history of Korandje (as I understand it), aimed at a non-specialist audience, for a special issue of The Middle East in London. You can read it here:
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1 comment:
Very good article. This Korandje language must be taught in Algeria's Tabelbala schools, at least as a "subject" like English or French. Plus a local radio station and TV station or may a daily or weekly program on Algeria's national TV will awaken the language and motivate the people of Tabelbala to speak it again with their kids and in the markets!
Have you thought of making a small dictionary or phrase book for Korandje destined for the layman?
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