Zulu Newspaper Reader - Dunwoody Press
Zulu Newspaper Reader - Dunwoody Press
Zulu Newspaper Reader - Dunwoody Press
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FOREWORD<br />
This <strong>Zulu</strong> <strong>Newspaper</strong> <strong>Reader</strong> fills a gap in the literature of an<br />
otherwise well-documented and well-studied Southern (Nguni)<br />
Bantu language. While there are several textbooks, courses,<br />
grammars, and bilingual dictionaries available, the real-world forays<br />
of the <strong>Zulu</strong> press had escaped careful scrutiny. Derek Gowlett has,<br />
with thoroughness and dedication, here provided a marvelous survey<br />
of a wide variety of the genres and styles extant in the South African<br />
press.<br />
<strong>Zulu</strong> enjoys a certain notoriety in that it is one of the very few<br />
African languages the name of which might be recognized by the<br />
average American. Perhaps only Swahili is more well known. Even<br />
so, of the hundreds of other African languages encompassing four<br />
distinct language families, both Swahili and <strong>Zulu</strong> are in the Bantu<br />
subfamily.<br />
<strong>Zulu</strong> is not an easy language. It presents many challenges to both<br />
learners and teachers. The difficulties within the sound system (e.g.,<br />
clicks) can be heard in the accompanying recording. Meanwhile,<br />
<strong>Zulu</strong>'s grammatical complexities have met their match in Gowlett's<br />
clear, consistent, and insightful elucidation. He has patiently peeled<br />
each layer of each word, clarifying its root and complex affix<br />
structure. Drawing upon his lengthy experience as a teacher and<br />
lecturer in the Department of African Languages, University of Cape<br />
Town, he has made this book student-friendly throughout.<br />
Rather than proceed on his own, the author has tied his grammatical<br />
explanations to the recently-published Poulos and Msimang A<br />
Linguistic Analysis of <strong>Zulu</strong> (1998), so that the student can have a<br />
singular point of reference. Nevertheless, in some instances, Gowlett<br />
has forged ahead by incorporating his insights into a few noun<br />
subclasses, a subsystem of perfect tense forms, and the complex<br />
usage of conjunctions, all of which are treated in the front matter.<br />
We at the Language Research Center and <strong>Dunwoody</strong> <strong>Press</strong> are both<br />
pleased and grateful that Derek Gowlett took on this task and<br />
produced a study worthy of admiration and emulation.<br />
i<br />
R. David Zorc<br />
Senior Linguist<br />
McNeil Technologies, Inc.
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