West African Linguistic Society

Last updated
West African Linguistic Society / Société de Linguistique de L'Afrique de l'Ouest
AbbreviationWALS / SLAO
Formation1965;59 years ago (1965)
TypeNon-profitable Society of Academics.
PurposeResearch in the languages and literatures of West Africa
Region
West Africa
Membership (1965)
All registered researchers on the languages and literatures of West Africa
Official language
English, French and all indigenous languages of West Africa
OwnerWest African Researchers in the languages and literatures of the Sub-region
President
Lendzemo Constantine Yuka
Secretary-Treasurer
Djibril Silue
Key people
Prof. Lendzemo Constantine Yuka, Dr. Djibril Silue, Prof. Ayo Bamgbgose, Prof. Ben Elugbe, Prof. Firmin Ahoua, Prof. Adams Bodomo, Prof. Francis Egbokhare, Prof. Akinlabi Akinbiyi, Prof. Gbeto Flavien, Prof. Harrison Adeniyi, Prof. Emelda Udo, Prof Lynell Zogbo
Main organ
Members of Council
Subsidiaries Linguistic Association of Nigeria, Linguistic Association of Ghana, Linguistic Association of Cote d'Ivoire, Linguistic Association of Benin
Website www.fwestafricanlinguisticsocietywals.org

The West African Linguistic Society (abbreviated as WALS) is an academic scholarly society formed in 1965 to foster and encourage research in the West African languages and literature as well as provide a permanent forum for interaction and exchange of ideas among scholars of African languages. Membership of the Society is largely drawn from teachers and researchers in universities and research institutes and they include scholars from all over the world. The society publishes the Journal of West African Languages . WALS is now a member of the Federation Internationale des Langues et Literatures Modernes (FILLM). Prof. Lendzemo Constantine Yuka is the current President of WALS while Dr. DJibril SIlue is the Secretary-Treasurer. Visit www.westafricanlinguisticsocietywals.org for more

Contents

Relevant Literature


Related Research Articles

The works of J. R. R. Tolkien have generated a body of research covering many aspects of his fantasy writings. These encompass The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, along with his legendarium that remained unpublished until after his death, and his constructed languages, especially the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin. Scholars from different disciplines have examined the linguistic and literary origins of Middle-earth, and have explored many aspects of his writings from Christianity to feminism and race.

<i>Mythlore</i> Academic journal

Mythlore is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal founded by Glen GoodKnight and published by the Mythopoeic Society. Although it publishes articles that explore the genres of myth and fantasy in general, special attention is given to the three most prominent members of the Inklings: J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. The current editor-in-chief is the Tolkien scholar Janet Brennan Croft. The Tolkien Society describes Mythlore as a "refereed scholarly journal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linguistic Society of America</span> Learned society in the US

The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) is a learned society for the field of linguistics. Founded in New York City in 1924, the LSA works to promote the scientific study of language. The society publishes three scholarly journals: Language, the open access journal Semantics and Pragmatics, and the open access journal Phonological Data & Analysis. Its annual meetings, held every winter, foster discussion amongst its members through the presentation of peer-reviewed research, as well as conducting official business of the society. Since 1928, the LSA has offered training to linguists through courses held at its biennial Linguistic Institutes held in the summer. The LSA and its 3,600 members work to raise awareness of linguistic issues with the public and contribute to policy debates on issues including bilingual education and the preservation of endangered languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edo language</span> Edoid language spoken in Nigeria

Edo, colloquially and often referred to as Bini, is the language spoken by the Edo ethnic group in Edo State, Nigeria. Benin is not a language but, rather, the name of the capital city, and the name of the Kingdom. Edo language is the native tongue of the Edo people and was the primary language of the Benin Empire and its predecessor, Igodomigodo for thousands of years. Edo language is the majority language spoken in Edo State, particularly in Benin City, and the surrounding local governments and senatorial districts in the Southern parts of the State. While everyone from the state are referred to as Edolites, but the Edo speaking people are known as the Edos.

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a private, nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations in the humanities and related social sciences founded in 1919. It is best known for its fellowship competitions which provide a range of opportunities for scholars in the humanities and related social sciences at all career stages, from graduate students to distinguished professors to independent scholars, working with a number of disciplines and methodologies in the U.S. and abroad.

Larry M. Hyman is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in phonology and has particular interest in African languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigismund Koelle</span> German missionary and scholar of languages of Africa

Sigismund Wilhelm Koelle or Kölle was a German missionary working on behalf of the London-based Church Missionary Society, at first in Sierra Leone, where he became a pioneer scholar of the languages of Africa, and later in Constantinople (Istanbul). He published a major study in 1854, Polyglotta Africana, marking the beginning of serious study by Europeans of African languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental studies</span> Study of Asian history and culture

Oriental studies is the academic field that studies Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology. In recent years, the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Middle Eastern studies and Asian studies. Traditional Oriental studies in Europe is today generally focused on the discipline of Islamic studies; the study of China, especially traditional China, is often called Sinology. The study of East Asia in general, especially in the United States, is often called East Asian studies.

The American Name Society(ANS) is a non-profit organization founded in 1951 to promote onomastics, the study of names and naming practices, both in the United States and abroad. The organization investigates cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Obianuju Acholonu</span> Nigerian writer (1951–2014)

Catherine Obianuju Acholonu was a Nigerian author, researcher and political activist. She served as the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Arts and Culture and was a founder-member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar C. Polomé</span> Belgian-American scholar

Edgar Ghislain Charles Polomé was a Belgian-American philologist and religious studies scholar. He specialized in Germanic and Indo-European studies and was active at the University of Texas at Austin for much of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali studies</span>

Somali studies is the scholarly term for research concerning Somalis and Greater Somalia. It consists of several disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, linguistics, historiography and archaeology. The field draws from old Somali chronicles, records and oral literature, in addition to written accounts and traditions about Somalis from explorers and geographers in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. The Somali Studies International Association is the primary organization for Somalist scholars. Bildhaan, Somali Studies, Horn of Africa and the Anglo-Somali Society Journal likewise serve as the field's main periodicals. Since 1980, prominent Somalist scholars from around the world have also gathered annually to hold the International Congress of Somali Studies.

Italian studies is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the Italian language, literature, art, history, politics, culture and society.

Tayo Lamidi is a Nigerian academic. He is the professor of Generative Syntax and Contact Linguistics at the Department of English, University of Ibadan. He is one of Nigeria's notable generative syntacticians.

Oladele Awobuluyi is a Nigerian linguist, professor, and author. He was born in Okeagbe, Akoko North-West in Ondo State, Nigeria. Awobuluyi's area of research focus is African languages, in particular Yoruba, as well as Kanuri and Edo. Awobuluyi founded the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages at the University of Ilorin in 1976, and served as the department's first head from 1979 until September 1984. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.

Mary Esther Kropp Dakubu was an American linguist based in Ghana, known for her work on Ghanaian languages. She was professor emerita at the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, where she had been affiliated since 1964.

Joseph Curtis "Joe" Salmons is an American linguist who is Professor of Language Sciences at University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Sonja L. Lanehart is an American linguist and professor of linguistics in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona who has advanced the study of language use in the African American community. Her work as a researcher, author, and editor includes African American English, education, literacy, identity, language variation, women's languages, intersectionality, and inclusivity within the African American community. Lanehart's sociolinguistic orientation prioritizes language as a phenomenon influenced by sociocultural and historical factors. She also utilizes the perspectives of Critical Race Theory and Black feminism in her work. Lanehart was the Brackenridge Endowed Chair in Literature and Humanities at the University of Texas at San Antonio from 2006 to 2019, and was selected by the Linguistic Society of America as a 2021 Fellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Dingemanse</span> Linguist, researcher in linguistics

Mark Dingemanse is a Dutch linguist and an Africanist. He is an associate professor in Language and Communication at the Centre for Language Studies of Radboud University Nijmegen. Dingemanse obtained a MA degree in African Languages and Cultures at Leiden University in 2006, and a PhD degree in arts in 2011 at Radboud University Nijmegen. He is also a Senior Investigator in the Multimodal Language and Cognition research group at the Nijmegen Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Dingemanse performed linguistic fieldwork in eastern Ghana and did comparative research on various languages. He is principal investigator of the research programme Elementary Particles of Conversation, on the small words in everyday language. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded Dingemans a Heineken Young Scientists Award in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imelda Udoh</span> Nigerian academic

Imelda Icheji Lawrence Udoh is a Professor of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages of the Faculty of Arts, University of Uyo, Nigeria. She serves as the President of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN). She is also a life member and Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. She is a DAAD alumnus and has served as Head of Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages from 2010 to 2014, as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 2010 to 2013, and Deputy Director, School of Continuing Education (2015–2016) of the University. She noted in her research that "Nigerian local languages seem to appear dying in particular areas, but still flourishing in others". Udoh advocated for the protection of these indigenous languages while delivering the 81st Inaugural Lecture of the University of Uyo. Udoh is also a Member of Council of the West African Linguistic Society. A festschrift was organized in her honour in 2019.

References

    www.westafricanlinguisticsocietywals.org