Papers on Language and Culture: an African Perspective

Most of the papers reproduced here have either been presented at a national or international conference, and some have been published elsewhere. I have obtained permission to republish because I think it is important to have them all together.


The idea came to me when I was asked, during an interview, why I wrote on such different topics as part of my scholarship. The question was based on the different publications in which the person asking had found them. I had to explain that they are all on language and culture, two areas that are closely interrelated.


It occurred to me that having all the papers published in one volume would help show how they relate to one another, and thereby provide a more meaningful dialogue on the general topic. I therefore hope that although each paper stands alone, use of cross-referencing will provide a cumulative effect that is impossible when the papers are read as separate publications.


The last chapter is not a paper in the traditional sense, in that it is just a list of words. However, it adds to the readers understanding of the Kikuyu language. The semantic domains are a people groups way of understanding, categorizing and labeling the world around them. I hope it will be especially important as a source for future scholars who will want to analyze the culture and thought processes of their ancestors.