Mazrui, Alamin M. 2016. Cultural Politics of Translation: East Africa in a Global Context

Marais, Kobus

doi:10.1075/target.29.2.11mar

Cited by 4 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…It also seems to suggest that the Arabic chat alphabet enables, not a “return” to Arabic, but rather a more correct representation of KiAmu as it was prior to colonial standardization efforts. In an interesting reformatting of ideologies of linguistic purism (Das 2008, 2016), and echoing Mazrui’s (2016) earlier claims, these orthographic refashionings then suggest KiAmu to be pure or correct only in its perceived hybrid form.…”

Section: Reimagining Linguistic Heritagementioning

confidence: 70%

“…According to them, it would restore the “natural condition” and subsequently facilitate Africans’ conversion to Christianity, allowing them in time to become truly civilized, colonial subjects (Broomfield 1930, 1931; Roehl 1930). This “purification process” entailed a switch from Arabic to Roman orthography, the replacement of Arabic vocabulary with “African” concepts, and the establishment of a unified, “coherent” language in which the Bible could be translated (Irvine 2008, 2015, 2019; Mazrui 2016; Topan 1992; Vierke 2014; Wald 1985). The result was to be “a pure, noble—if the expression is permitted—rebantuized Swahili” (Roehl 1930, 199) 6…”

Section: Swahili As a Colonial Lingua Francamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Minutes from the Committee’s meetings, for example, document discussions concerning the supposed unnecessary use of “Arabic” words, where equally good and expressive Bantu lexemes existed. The use of “foreign” words, it was argued, would create difficulty and confusion for mainland speakers (Mazrui 2016; Peterson 2006). Ignoring the functionality of distinctive aspirations, implosives, and consonant clusters, thinking them imports from Arabic, the Committee also eliminated these features in the new spelling system, creating a language and an orthography that many mother tongue speakers considered inadequate.…”

Section: Swahili As a Colonial Lingua Francamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is precisely this reformatting of ideologies of linguistic purism that I am interested here (see also Das 2008, 2016). As the young Lamu texters, the imam considers KiAmu to not be pure or correct, except for its mixture with Arabic (see also Mazrui 2016).…”

Section: Reimagining Linguistic Heritagementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, the presence of an extensive, written Swahili literary tradition, shared between flourishing centers of trade and Islamic scholarship, challenged colonizers' and missionaries' preconceptions of the African continent (LaViolette and Wynne-Jones 2018; Mazrui 2016; Ray 2018). Both the stone town civilizations where Swahili was predominantly spoken, and the language's written tradition, using Arabic orthography, were seen as imports to the African context (Mazrui 2016;Topan 1992;Vierke 2014;Wald 1985). 5 However, for German and British colonizers who were eager to rule using a local tongue, and for missionaries who wanted to spread the gospel at a minimum cost, the Swahili language offered an unexpected and much-welcomed opportunity.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Reimagining Linguistic Heritage: Or How Mother Tongue Speakers Re‐Create Their Language

Hillewaert

2021

J Linguistic Anthropol

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In this article, I engage the “language as heritage” trope to critically examine a popular belief that underlies it: the idea that a shared language primordially connects an individual to a group of people, a homogenous culture and a particular territory—the notion of the ethnolinguistic group. Judith T. Irvine has long urged linguistic anthropologists to problematize the linguistic side of these classifications, to recognize the ideologies that shape both scholarly language descriptions and speakers’ own interactional practices (often in response to those official depictions). Here, I take on this challenge by considering both the contrived colonial standardization process of East Africa’s Swahili language, and contemporary Swahili speakers’ creative resistances to scholarly descriptions of “their” linguistic heritage. Orthographic and interactional practices from speakers of KiAmu, a Swahili vernacular spoken in coastal Kenya, illustrate how speakers creatively attempt to make their vernacular more “like itself.” Rejecting (post)colonial perspectives of Swahili as a distinctly “African” language, they are reimagining their linguistic heritage and its associated belongings to appeal to alternative identities and histories, that have hybridity and transoceanic interconnectivity at their core.

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Section: Reimagining Linguistic Heritagementioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Swahili As a Colonial Lingua Francamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Swahili As a Colonial Lingua Francamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reimagining Linguistic Heritagementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reimagining Linguistic Heritage: Or How Mother Tongue Speakers Re‐Create Their Language

Hillewaert

2021

J Linguistic Anthropol

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Development Aid in Translation

Todorova

Ahrens

2020

The Oxford Handbook of Translation and Social Practices

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This chapter interrogates the translated language used in development aid in terms of its underlying Anglocentric conceptual assumptions as well as in terms of its discursive products. It argues that this export of jargon-specific language has impeded the mission of developmental aid, and it provides a case study to support these arguments. It then discusses two steps that can be taken to facilitate the implementation of development aid practice: (1) directly involve various indigenous and grassroots actors in the translation process and (2) enhance sensitivity to the linguistic and cultural context of the host locale. Integrating these suggestions into ongoing policy creation would enable development agencies, international nongovernmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations in general to create more comprehensible policy documents and provide more relevant and useful practices for the local communities.

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Cultural Reflections of Translating Huidong Fishing Songs on Global Perceptions of Southern China

2024

langl

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This essay discusses the translation of Huidong fishing songs, an integral part of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage from Guangdong Province, through the lens of cultural translation theory. It underscores the role of translation in enhancing global understanding and appreciation of Southern China's cultural identity. Emphasizing the translator's role as a cultural mediator, the paper explores strategies for culturally sensitive translation, including cultural contextualization and adaptation. This approach ensures that translations resonate authentically with global audiences while preserving the songs' cultural essence. The paper highlights translation as a crucial tool for cultural preservation and intercultural communication, fostering empathy and respect across cultural boundaries. It concludes by affirming the significance of translating Huidong fishing songs in bridging cultural divides and enriching global cultural dialogue.

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Mazrui, Alamin M. 2016. Cultural Politics of Translation: East Africa in a Global Context

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Reimagining Linguistic Heritage: Or How Mother Tongue Speakers Re‐Create Their Language

Reimagining Linguistic Heritage: Or How Mother Tongue Speakers Re‐Create Their Language

Development Aid in Translation

Cultural Reflections of Translating Huidong Fishing Songs on Global Perceptions of Southern China

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