Learning Swahili

[Alpha Blondy]

Safferz;935946 wrote:

Except I've never heard that from a Muslim east African academic, but the scenario I described above is one I have direct experience with and those ideas are increasingly common when discussing the history of the Swahili coast. So try again.

i think you'd be more familiar with their proscribed label within the literature - islamofacist preachers of hate (i.e -the bearded sheikhs who order some little worms to go on kamikaze styled suicide missions as the prosperity of the Bantu christian slaves). they exist. perhaps its worth investing in your repertoire of readings. of course, this would mean re-doing your literature review.

[raula]

***caution..I have no research background nor have studied swahili except in Madrasa & in school (Kenya, be it GHC classes, Geography, History & Civics classes lol..)..or otherwise reading...

 

Its the lingua franca like Spanish in S. America, spread through E. AFrican trade routes & originated from inter-marriage btwn mostly Arabs/persian speaking dialects w/the bantu inhabitants of coastal East Africa (remember swahili has many languages in IT, portuguese, german, persian, Urdu, etc). Swahili's were colonized & enslaved (I refute to say that it preceded PRE_COLONIAL). Infact, the colonization of E. Africa & E-African slave trade was gradual & at times punctuated (periods of high volumes & low volumes of slave trade) that lasted many centuries (unlike the Trans-atlantic slave trade), than the SCRAMBLE for Africa.

[raula]

Safferz;935898 wrote:

The people who talk about "Swahili dominance" are usually islamophobes from the interior who want to rewrite east African history and continue their marginalization of those who identify as Swahili. Language use (and spread) *everywhere* has always been historically linked to governance and trade/commerce, people and communities adopt and abandon languages when they feel it can provide more for them in terms of access to power or wealth.

If indeed Swahili is just another language...how come it hasn't been abondoned after its use (E. African trade)..??? & how do you term the emergence of the spanish language in S. America??

[Safferz]

raula;935976 wrote:

If indeed Swahili is just another language...how come it hasn't been abondoned after its use (E. African trade)..??? & how do you term the emergence of the spanish language in S. America??

Why would Swahili disappear after hundreds of years, simply because of 60 years of British (and briefly German) presence in East Africa? Not to mention the British used indirect rule in Africa - rule through already existing indigenous structures - meant that English did not become the language of power in most African encounters with the colonial state. The colonial conquest of Africa was also very different from the colonial conquest of the Americas, so it's not the most useful comparison.

[Alpha Blondy]

raula;935974 wrote:

***caution..I have no research background nor have studied swahili except in Madrasa

& in school (Kenya, be it GHC classes, Geography, History & Civics classes lol..)..or otherwise reading...

 

Its the lingua franca like Spanish in S. America, spread through E. AFrican trade routes & originated from inter-marriage btwn mostly Arabs/persian speaking dialects w/the bantu inhabitants of coastal East Africa (remember swahili has many languages in IT, portuguese, german, persian, Urdu, etc). Swahili's were colonized & enslaved (I refute to say that it preceded PRE_COLONIAL). Infact, the colonization of E. Africa & E-African slave trade was gradual & at times punctuated (periods of high volumes & low volumes of slave trade) that lasted many centuries (unlike the Trans-atlantic slave trade), than the SCRAMBLE for Africa.

thanks for explaining Saffz. i feel like i've learnt something new, inaar.

[Safferz]

That was Raula you quoted

[Alpha Blondy]

Safferz;935999 wrote:

That was Raula you quoted

yes, of course! i'm so infatuated with you, ma istidhi?

 

P.S thanks Raula.

[Safferz]

Alpha Blondy;936001 wrote:

yes, of course! i'm so infatuated with you, ma istidhi?

 

P.S thanks Raula.

You are clearly just too stubborn to admit when I've taught you something, but I appreciate the slip lol