Patterns of dispersal and diversification in Africa

Abstract

This chapter presents some background considerations relevant to the patterns of language dispersal and diversification in Africa. First an overview of languages and language families is given. There are three larger families (Nilo-Saharan, Niger-Congo, and Afro-Asiatic) next to around nine smaller families and at least fifteen linguistic isolates. Then the main distinctive typological features of African languages are presented and some of the areal patterns are discussed. The following section presents the history of research on the major families of the continent. An important recent finding is that the Khoisan languages do not constitute a single family, but rather that three independent families (North, Central, and South Khoisan) are involved as well as two isolates, Hadza and Sandawe. The early history of the continent is briefly analysed, stressing the importance of genetic, archeological, and anthropological insights. The chapter concludes with a brief summary of the chapters in the book regarding the region.