Mali: “Bambara” vs “Bamana” in English nomenclature

Please respond directly to Don (dzo(at)bisharat(dot)net

Cross-posted from H-West-Africa list

From: “Don Osborn”
Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 11:10:39 -0400

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A recent proposal on the Wikipedia article for “Bambara language” propts me to turn to this list for some feedback. It relates to the issue of where we are in the fashion of using “endonyms” for peoples and languages that was discussed on H-Africa & H-West-Africa in Dec. 2007 (”Names for African peoples & language”). The author of the request below makes a reasonable suggestion to consider changing the article name to “Bamana,” but makes the use of “Bambara” sound like an unqualified insult. My response follows. Any comments on the background, claims, or appropriate course of action would be appreciated.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Bambara_language#language_name :

The name of this article needs to be changed, please. The term ‘Bambara’ floating around in other articles as an alternative name can still link to the new correctly titled article. The name of the ethnic group is the BAMANA and the language is BAMANA (English, German) or BAMANANKAN (lit. ‘Bamana sound’) in the native language. The term BAMBARA is pejorative on several levels. It’s a mispronunciation by the Colonial French (and therefore smacks of colonialism) and has stuck in much of French literature as well as art circles. However, this article is English wiki, and Americans and British anthropologists, sociologists and LINGUISTS call the language BAMANA. The term BAMBARA meant ‘riverworking / hardworking *slave*’ during the slave trade in Senegal, used by the whites and the Wolof to refer to the Bamana, Boso, Kagoro, etc. And, BAMBARA literally means in Fula (and has connotations in other West African languages) ‘pagan, infidel’ as the Fula converted many other ethnic groups to Islam. Many Fula still consider the Bamana as ‘bad muslims.’ The term BAMBARA is tinted with racsim, colonialism, ethnic hatred/distrust and religious tension. Professionals call the language and its speakers the same term that those speakers do. The article’s name needs to be changes. Using BAMBARA in Wiki is like titling a page Beaner or Yank or Lapp or Polack or Limey. Change it. 71.210.91.4 (talk) 02:34, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

I’ll post this issue to the MANSA-L list (of the Mande Studies Association), because I think the issue may not be as clear cut as you imply. I think the case for endonyms - as you put it “Professionals call the language and its speakers the same term that those speakers do” - is sometimes overstretched and many now recognize that it is not always appropriate and sometimes even awkward. Where a pejorative association is clear, I think we’d all agree that the change should have no question - we say “Soninke” and have long before Wikipedia dropped “Saracolle” for this reason. I’m not arguing against the change so much as asking for more clarity before it be considered. My understanding is that “Bambara” came into the European languages via Fula <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_language>  pronunciation (Bammbaraajo/Bambaraa?e), but that it does not “literally mean in Fula (and has connotations in other West African languages) ‘pagan, infidel’” (although it sounds a bit like a derivative of the root for carrying on the back - wammb-). The history of the term is no doubt complex and I’d suggest more discussion before any attempt to move the articles.–A12n (talk) 14:56, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

African Dictionary:CHICHEWA/CHINYANJA-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Source: African Book Centre

CHICHEWA/CHINYANJA-ENGLISH DICTIONARY
Paas, Steven (Ed.)

Chichewa is probably the most widely spoken African language across the regions of Southern and South-Central Africa, used extensively in the private and public spheres: in the family, schools, government, NGOs and media communications. This is the first authoritative, and most comprehensive dictionary of its kind, a notable scholarly endeavour, and with major practical applications. The dictionary grew from an ad hoc missionary publication of Chichewa/English translations from the 1970s, but far exceeds the scope of any previous efforts transcribe the Chichewa language, provide accurate English equivalents, and reach a popular audience. 400pp, MALAWI. KACHERE SERIES.

2004 9990816662 Paperback
Price: £30.95

Available from: African Book Centre

And African Book Collective

ALSO
English - Chichewa/Chinyanja Dictionary 3rd Ed.

Third Edition. Revised and Enlarged

Edited by Steven Paas

There are more than fifteen million native speakers of Chichewa, or Chinyanja, in Malawi, and in parts of Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa; thus Chichewa is probably the most widely spoken African language across the regions of Southern and South-Central Africa, used extensively in the private and public spheres: in the family, schools, government, NGOs and media communications. This is the first authoritative, and most comprehensive dictionary of its kind, a notable scholarly endeavour, and with major practical applications. The dictionary grew from an ad-hoc missionary publication of Chichewa/English translations from the 1970s, but far exceeds the scope of any previous efforts to transcribe the Chichewa language, provide accurate English equivalents, and reach a popular audience. It is a ‘live text’, taking in native speakers’ collections of Chichewa vocabulary, contemporary usage, as well as contributions from scholars in African languages; and it pays heed to the close interaction between Chichewa and English and how the languages influence one another when both are widely spoken. In Africa it aims to be the first popular Chichewa/English dictionary for all levels of language use; outside Africa, it is aimed at foreign visitors and workers dealing with the Chichewa languages in professional and tourist capacities, in government and NGO communities, the media, academia and in specialist fields such as medicine, information technology and the law.

ISBN 9789990876307 | 456 pages | 216 x 140 mm | 2005 | Kachere Series, Malawi | Paperback

£29.95

Available from: Africa Book Collective

See also:

http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/translation/Chichewa/

Nigeria: Ido language lessons

Edo Nation has some fairly rudimentary Ido language lessons 

as does EdoFolks where you’ll also find the following:

Edo Proverb 1
Edo Proverb2
Teach Yourslf Edo Language
24 major Edoid dialects in Nigeria
Nigeria’s Modern Language
WAZOBIA
Edo General Language
10 Edo Proverbs
Edo Months and Seasons
Edo Language Class (2/03)
Can we speak one language (2/03)
Common Titles and Definitions in Edo Language  (2/05)
Definitions of an “Obo” and “Ogie-Obo”  (2/05)
Political Office Minister in Edo Language  (2/05)
Edo Dictionary Online  (6/06)

Nigeria: Igbo language lessons and more

 Igbonet has a series of Igbo language lessons, essays about the culture and people and more

Nigeria: Igbo Language Preservation

Source: All Africa

Nigeria: Umeh Calls for Igbo Language Preservation

A retired secondary school principal, Mr Peter Umeh, has called on
 Ndigbo to preserve their language in order not to destroy the rich
 cultural heritage of the people.

Umeh told (NAN) in Enugu that the identity of any tribe was its
 language and that without language, a tribe would be incomplete and
 without identifiable root.

“Every tribe cherishes and protects its language because the
 extinction, marked the end and recognition of that tribe,” he said.

Full story:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200803240780.html   Read more about Igbo