European Languages in Africa
- Thread starter faarax_mn
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Nilotic
VIP
African 'Nations' are artificial, are incredibly diverse and are entirely the result of European creation; the languages used during the colonial period gained tremendous levels of prestige that never wore off...
..These former colonial possessions are still possessed (psychologically) by the West and they haven't come up with National languages that would be acceptable to the dozens of tribes in each of these Nations.
..These former colonial possessions are still possessed (psychologically) by the West and they haven't come up with National languages that would be acceptable to the dozens of tribes in each of these Nations.
colonialism, common language amongst the people, economic reasons
there's many different reasons why
there's many different reasons why
Not all colonies were effective. Also, colonies were based on economics, specifically plantations. The only places worth a damn was in the south in Somalia, specifically the Jubaland region, which was the focus for colonizers there. The majority of Sub-Saharan Africa unfortunately had fantastic environmental conditions for plantations, and as such, European colonizers simply invested more towards them.
As for Ethiopia, they were already a known force to Europeans and was as technologically adapt, allowing them to resist colonizers.
North Africa was already Arabized for centuries before the Europeans came, making their influence less impactful.
So that's the rub.
As for Ethiopia, they were already a known force to Europeans and was as technologically adapt, allowing them to resist colonizers.
North Africa was already Arabized for centuries before the Europeans came, making their influence less impactful.
So that's the rub.
Nilotic
VIP
Yes we do not need Italian language we have Somali
Benefit of being Africa's only homogeneous State.
SOMALI GENERAL
VIP
The main issue with modern African countries is they are largely remnants of European colonies that have combined so many Ethnic groups into one artificial state.
Hence why the peoples of those countries have made European languages official because they’re viewed as more neutral and spoken by the vast majority irrespective of ethnic background etc.
Hence why the peoples of those countries have made European languages official because they’re viewed as more neutral and spoken by the vast majority irrespective of ethnic background etc.
Why did Italian disappear from Somalia? Did the people just collectively decide to throw the language out when the Italians left?
Apollo
VIP
The Barre government and the higher education system (colleges, universities) mainly promoted it, but the 90s civil war destroyed these institutions and then during the rebuilding phase only English and Arabic have been promoted as foreign languages to be learned, wiping out any incentive to learn Italian in Somalia.
SOMALI GENERAL
VIP
You’ll be surprised at how proficient most North Africans are when speaking French. Even some Moroccans can speak Spanish due to the Spanish conquest in the old imperial days.
On a side-note, North Africans have been getting linguistically rekt since days of Antiquity. Like for instance, many North Africans ditched they’re native Berber tongues for Latin & Punic/Phoenician before Arabic came on the scene.
Apollo
VIP
Many Bantu countries (literal Bantu countries, not the Somali meme of non-Horn SSAs) have languages that are extremely closely related. I don't get why they don't just pick the biggest ones and let the other Bantu tribes learn that one?
However, West Africa has deeper linguistic divides, but not the Bantu countries.
I lowkey wish Italian came back, not to erase Somali but it's kind of a beautiful language.
Only few educated elites spoke the language , same with English in the North , the isolated nomadic lifestyle of Somalis and the fact that they spoke one common language was a big factor , they didn't need another language to communicate with each other, unlike other Africans .
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Yeah In Moqadisho , but I bet Somalis outside of the urban centers didn't speak it , and they were the majority pre-independence ,the reer baadiye , village folks ,small towns ...
Apollo
VIP
The zones where Amharic and Swahili are spoken are made smaller on this map by only taking into account the 1st language zone.
The 2nd language zone of Amharic and Swahili are much larger.
My father went to School in Mogadishu in the 80's and didn't learn Italian, it was all in Somali.
He basically learned to be a Vet and vaccinated livestock and other animals.
