Ajami in West Africa

Main author: Souag, Lameen
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-13429
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description West Africans throughout the region have creatively adapted the Arabic script to write non-Arabic languages, a form of literacy known as Ajami which remains widespread today despite little or no government support. The variety of methods used to extend the Arabic script to fit other phonological systems are of particular interest: methods that appear unmotivated from a purely linguistic perspective can readily be explained as rational adaptations to the parallel educational system in which Ajami is typically learned, an issue often not taken into account in orthography planning.
format Journal Article
author Souag, Lameen
author_facet Souag, Lameen
authorStr Souag, Lameen
author_letter Souag, Lameen
title Ajami in West Africa
publisher Department of African Studies, University of Cologne
publishDate 2010
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/13429/