Swahili and the Classical Tradition

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Swahili and the Classical Tradition
Authors:	Whiteley, W.H. Gutkind, A.E.
Year:	1959
Periodical:	Tanganyika Notes and Records
Volume:	53
Pages:	214-223
Language:	English
Geographic term:	East Africa
Subjects:	Swahili language Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Abstract:	Observations on some grammatical descriptions in English and Swahili through an analysis of the contributions to Swahili grammar by Krapf, Steere, Hellier, Bleek, Burt, A. and M.H. Werner, Sapir, Broomfield, Doke, Mrs. Ashton, Allen, Kopoka. During the hundred years since Krapf wrote his Outline of the language, a great deal of time and effort has been devoted to the description of it, and if we undoubtedly know a great deal about it yet our knowledge is patchy, particularly in the field of syntax, in no case has anyone consciously set out to describe the language in purely formal terms, as being the only basis for a description which is not derived from other languages. While linguists in other parts of the world have gradually dispensed with the classical models, Swahili grammar has remained largely the result of adopting classical parts of speech, defined according to their translation in English.