Ursula Reutner - Böcker

With more than two thousand languages spread over its territory, multilingualism is a common reality in Africa. The main official languages of most African countries are Indo-European, in many instances Romance. As they were primarily brought to Africa in the era of colonization, the areas discussed in this volume are thirty-five states that were once ruled by Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, or Spain, and the African regions still belonging to three of them. Twenty-six states are presented in relation to French, four to Italian, six to Portuguese, and two to Spanish. They are considered in separate chapters according to their sociolinguistic situation, linguistic history, external language policy, linguistic characteristics, and internal language policy. The result is a comprehensive overview of the Romance languages in modern-day Africa. It follows a coherent structure, offers linguistic and sociolinguistic information, and illustrates language contact situations, power relations, as well as the cross-fertilization and mutual enrichment emerging from the interplay of languages and cultures in Africa.

Romance and indigenous languages coexist across many parts of Africa, creating intricate dynamics that shape national identities, influence educational systems, and inspire cultural expression.This volume focuses on thirty-eight countries where French, Portuguese, and Spanish are spoken or faint traces of Italian persist, occasionally broadening its scope to cover the entire continent and draw comparisons with the role of English. It explores how these languages were introduced to the continent, how they have merged into African multilingual environments, developed distinctive features, and how these are perceived by different speakers, before concluding with a series of case studies that bring the discussion into sharper focus.The outcome is the first comprehensive monograph to systematically address linguistic, sociolinguistic, and cultural topics across all Romance languages relevant to Africa. With particular attention to the accessibility of its structure, content, and languages, the volume testifies to Africa’s rich linguistic diversity and creativity, transcending colonial boundaries and giving rise to vibrant contemporary cultures.