Search Results: African Languages from Christison Rare Books, IOBA SABDA

(Mariannhill Mission Press, 1953). Seventh edition. 16mo; original pale blue cloth, lettered in black to spine and upper cover; pp. 378. Cloth mottled and very worn; foxing, particularly to endpapers and edges; cloth tape reinforcing to hinges. Fair condition. (Doke, p. 51 [1st edition]; Strange Collection 1132 [Earlier edition]; Murphy & Goff 1099 [Later edition]) "The Roman Catholic Church ... has a different approach to mission work from that of the Protestant churches, but nevertheless it is possible to include the work done at the Trappist monastery of Mariannhill, near Pinetown, Natal, since 1883, under mission presses. Publications in languages as diverse as Polish and Zulu have emanated from this press, and during the first year of the monastery, a vernacular catechism, some broadsides in English and German among which were some hymns." - Anna H. Smith: The Spread of Printing: Eastern Hemisphere, South Africa, p. 78. .

(Johannesburg, Witwatersrand University Press, Volume 19, No. 2, 1960). Small quarto, wraps, pp. (49-)112. Light foxing. Some changes in the social structure of the Tlhaping of the Taung Reserve. Contributions to the Study of Creole. The Implosive-Explosive contrast in Manyika. .

(Johannesburg, Witwatersrand University Press, Volume 19, No. 4, 1960). Small quarto, wraps, slightly creased pp. (193-)256. Slight foxing. The Growth of Comparative Bantu Philology. African Linguistic Studies, 1943-1960. Contributions to the Study of Creole, III. .

(London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1913). Demy 8vo; original green cloth, with upper cover lettered in blind, and spine gilt-lettered; pp. xviii + 579. Cloth rather stippled, and spine browned; penned quotation from Goethe to front free endpaper; rather foxed and somewhat browned throughout; damp-stain to fore-edge. Fair condition. (SABIB 3, p. 661) Concerning Charles Pettman (1851-1935) and this, his first published book, we read in the first volume of the 'Dictionary of South African Biography': "Travelling in the Windsor Castle to take up an appointment in the Cape Colony, he was shipwrecked on Dassen Island on 19.10.1876, one of his fellow passengers being Sir Theophilus Shepstone, then on a mission to the Transvaal which was to end in British annexation. After a brief stay in Cape Town Pettman continued his journey to Panmure (as it was then called), on the east bank of the Buffalo river, opposite the settlement of East London. The first Methodist minister appointed in the East… Read More

(Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1975) 0195700694. 8vo; original blue and white cloth; dustwrapper; pp. xx + 196. Dustwrapper somewhat browned and very slightly edgeworn; a little foxing. Good to very good condition. "This most unusual and exciting dictionary lists vocabulary, idiom and pronunciation used by English speakers in South Africa; there are many words and phrases common in Southern Africa that are not known elsewhere and the way in which these words and phrases are used is sometimes unique to this area. But this dictionary does not stop at merely giving the derivation and definition of words - it offers guidance as to the acceptability or otherwise of the vocabulary and usage listed." .

(Pietermaritzburg & Durban: P. Davis and Sons, 1903). 183 x 125 mm; side-stitched wrappers; pp. 51. Archival tape reinforcing to spine; earlier owner's name signed on upper cover and Contents page; a little foxing and curling. Good condition. Oddly, the cover gives 1903 as the year of publication, whereas the title page has 1902. (Strange Collection, 1141 [1892 edition]; Doke, p. 96 [Later editions]; Mendelssohn I, p. 596) 'The object of the work "is to help newcomers in their common intercourse with the [Zulus]," and it is suggested that "it will be of service to those who wish to acquire a real knowledge of the language, and serve as an introduction to more complete works." - Mendelssohn .

(Cape Town: Juta & Co., 1921). 185 x 123 mm; printed wrappers; pp. 106. Some rust marks to upper cover; chip to fore-edge of upper wrapper, with archival tape repair to reverse side; slightly frayed at head of spine; some foxing and regular, light browning. Good. (Strange Collection, 1168; Doke, p. 252; SABIB 4, p. 703) Uncommon title: OCLC finds just the North-West University Library copy. "As regards books in Zulu, there are many to be had, and some of them are excellent. The knowledge they impart is without doubt of great service in many cases. But I think they will of only limited service to beginners and to junior pupils. One fault is that they presume some previous knowledge or insight on the part of their readers, such as very often does not exist. Again, they have always seemed to me to fail in not being sufficiently full in the explanation of difficult points, and also to fail in not being graduated carefully and easily, so as to render it possible that progress may be at… Read More

(New York: Gramercy Books, 2007) 9780517229217. 8vo; original yellow boards; laminated dustwrapper; pp. xxvii + (v) + 171. Dustwrapper very slightly rubbed; tiny bump to bottom edge of lower board. Very good condition. "From Adoa to Zahara offers more than a thousand names from African life, lakes and rivers, towns and cities, and words in many different dialects and languages from all corners of the African continent. For new parents who want to give their child a name redolent of a rich heritage, or for adults looking to change or enhance their own Westernized names, this informative book is an essential and enlightening resource that will help to make the process of choosing a name a truly unique and meaningful experience." .

(Cape Town: University of Cape Town and South African Library, 1956). Willem Hiddingh Reprint Series, No. 10. A facsimile reprint of the 1834 Grahamstown edition. Small quarto; cloth-backed marbled boards; pp. (x) + 54. Boards slightly rubbed; occasional fox spot; some pages working loose, but all present. Good condition. (Mendelssohn I, p. 178 [2nd edition]; Schapera, L82 [1st edition]) "The first published Xhosa grammar." - Schapera: Select Bibliography of South African Native Life and Problems .

([London]: Religious Tract Society for the Morija Sesuto Book Depot, 1915). 8vo; original black cloth, lettered in gilt on spine; pp. viii + 284. Cloth fishmothed; a little spotting. Good condition. (Strange Collection 716; Doke, p. 85) Uncommon: OCLC finds just two American repositories, and one South African copy. The book of Revelation explained in Sesotho. .

(Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1997) 0624034801. Zulu translation by Sipho Ndlovu. 4to; laminated pictorial boards; unpaginated (pp. 32); charming full-colour illustrations. As new. Zulu translation of the delightful children's story 'Lulama's Magic Blanket'. "ULulama unengubo yokulala ethungwe ngeziqephu yenziwa ngomlingo othile oyimfihlo. Uma edlala ngayo ngaphandle, ikwazi ukuphenduka ibe yinoma yini acabanga ukuthi iyiyona ... " .

(Pietermaritzburg: Shuter & Shooter, no date). 12mo; cloth-backed papered boards; pictorial endpapers; pp. 120; line drawings. Boards a bit rubbed and slightly soiled; Hermannsburg Seminary ink stamp to half-title; some minor foxing. Good. Translation in isiZulu of Geraldine Elliot's African folk tales, with the charming Sheila Hawkins illustrations. .

(Hermannsburg, Verlag Missionshandlung, 1964). mit Zeichnungen von Ludwig Janssen. Pictorial wraps, pp. 23. Text a little browned. Setswana children's text, with religious theme. .

(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009) 9780521739573. 228 x 151 mm; laminated pictorial wrappers; pp. xx + 378, incl. index; maps, illustrations, facsimiles in text. Fine condition. "Ocean of Letters is a remarkable history of imperialism, language, and creolization in the largest African diaspora of the Indian Ocean in the early modern period. Ranging from Madagascar to the Mascarenes, the Comores, and South Africa, Pier M. Larson sheds new light on the roles of slavery, emancipation, oceanic travel, Christian missions, and colonial linguistics in the making of Malagasy-language literacy in the islands of the western Indian Ocean." .

(Paris: Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, 1954). 190 x 140 mm; printed card wrappers; pp. 281. Pages unopened and wrappers a little sunned. Good condition. (Murphy & Goff, 436 [1st edition]) Title page gives 1913 as the date of publication, but the upper wrapper has 1954. Bambara is a language spoken by around 3 million inhabitants of Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire. .

(London, Humphrey Milford/Oxford University Press for the International Institute of African Languages & Cultures, 1933). 8vo; original green cloth; pp. xvi + 227, incl. index; several figures, diagrams and plates to assist in the production of speech sounds. Cloth a little spotted, slight wear to extremities; pen mark over name on front free endpaper; sporadic spotting. Good condition. (Murphy and Goff, A Bibliography of African Languages and Linguistics, 98). .

(Pretoria: Communications of the University of South Africa C59, 1968). 212 x 140 mm; original cream card wrappers; pp. 24. Very good condition. Analysis of the adoption of foreign words into Zulu. .

(Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1997) 062403481X. Zulu translation by Sipho Ndlovu. 4to; laminated pictorial boards; unpaginated (pp. 32); charming full-colour illustrations. As new. A delightful children's story about a boy and a pig. Zulu text. "UMusa ufuna isipho azosinika unina, futhi unesikhwama somlingo azosifaka kusona lesi sipho. Izinto azihambi ngendlela acabanga ngayo, kodwa yize kunjalo, uyaphumelela ekumnikeni isipho esingcono kunazo zonke." .

(Cape Town: Van Riebeeck Society, 2006) 0958513414. Second Series No. 37. 8vo; original dark brown cloth, lettered in gilt on spine, with gilt publisher's monogram to upper cover; laminated pictorial dustwrapper; pp. xlv + (v) + 374, incl. index and publisher's catalogue; frontis.; maps; some illustrations. Near-fine condition. "Words of Batswana presents a selection of letters and articles that were written by Batswana for Mahoko a Becwana (News/Words of Batswana), a Setswana-language newspaper published by missionaries of the London Missionary Society at Kuruman between 1883 and 1896. ... These writings offer a rare and revealing glimpse of conversations that took place among literate Africans during a crucial period in the formation of modern South Africa and Botswana. They are reproduced here both in their original Setswana form and as translated into English." .

(Lovedale, The Lovedale Press, 1953). 8vo; original pale blue cloth; pp. 94. Cover somewhat worn and a little soiled; tape stains to endpapers; ownership inscription on front free endpaper; sporadic light foxing. Fair condition. (Murphy and Goff, A Bibliography of African Languages and Linguistics, 1109 [1961 revision]). .