2/4/2014 bind wolof ci internet bi: am na solo? | Global Conversation

http://www.globalconversation.org/2011/01/19/bind-wolof-ci-internet-bi-am-na-solo 1/4

bind wolof ci internet bi: am na solo?byJulianaFriend|January19th,2011|WolofandtheWeb

Waxale,Waxale,Waxale.ItseemslikethatsallIvebeendoingthispastweek.Talking,talking,talking.

ButI'mnotsolelytoblame.WhilemylinguistcontactsarguethatDakaroishaveforgottenhowtospeakproperly,IbegtodifferthattheoratortraditionisaliveandwellinSenegalscapitalcity.Dakarois,andparticularlyDakaroismen,haveaknackforlong,tortuousparablesthatmakeyoufeelasifyoureinelementaryschoolagain,listeningtothatomniscientteacherwhowillfinallyhelpyouunderstandwhythedinosaursdied,orwhatthebirdsandthebeesreallymeans.

InDakar,thereismuchwaxaleaboutwaxale.JustyesterdayIwitnessedaheateddebateaboutthespellingoftheWolofwordforyesterday.Isitdmbordemb?mycoworkersatANAFAargued.WellhavetoaskPaYoussu,Adjasaid,indicatingUsmaan,whoknowsWolofsstandardorthography.

Wolof(avehicularlanguagespokenthroughoutmostofSenegalaswellasinTheGambiaandMauritania)wasonlyrecentlywrittendownandcodifiedinthe1970s,byateamoflinguistspropelledbySenegalsfirstpresidentandmostcelebratedpoet,LeopoldSedarSenghor.Since,educationinitiativestopromotenationallanguageliteracyhavebeenspottyatbest;afewNGOsteachWolofliteracyinruralvillages,andin2002,Senegal'sMinistryofEducationlostitsfundingforintegratingnationallanguagesintotheformaleducationsystem.Asaresult,fewDakaroisknowhowtowritestandardWolof,anddebatesoverhowtospeakandwriteproperlyarefrequentandheated."MetalinguisticdiscoursemaybeconsiderednerdyatBrown.ButinDakar,itsthenorm.

I.

Today,acolonialeradivideremainslargelyintact:Frenchisforwriting,andWolofisforspeaking.

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2/4/2014 bind wolof ci internet bi: am na solo? | Global Conversation

http://www.globalconversation.org/2011/01/19/bind-wolof-ci-internet-bi-am-na-solo 2/4

Thepastthreedecadeshavebroughtchange.Inthe1980sand1990s.Wolofphrasesbegantoappearingraffiti,inpoliticalsloganspublishedinnewspapers,andinbillboardadvertisements.SomeolderDakaroistellmethatatfirst,itwashardtovisuallydecipherthewordstheyhadspokenfrombirth.

Thencametheageoftheubiquitouscellphone.Thedesiretoexpressoneselfinonesmothertongue,coupledwiththereducedformalityoftextmessages,createdanexplosionofwrittenWolofontheinchbyinchscreensofNokiacellphones.ThencameMyspace,andFacebook,andbeforemembersoftheoldergenerationcouldscratchtheirheads,thespeech/Wolofvs.writing/Frenchbinarystartedtobreakdown.

However,astheDakarlinguistSouleymaneFayevehementlypointedoutinhisuniversityofficeyesterday,teenswriteWolof"commeilspeuvent:thatis,withFrenchphoneticsandspelling.Becausegovernmentalnationallanguageliteracyprogramsweresoshortlived,andnongovernmentalinitiativessoshortranging,teenswriteWolofhowtheyhearit:withthephoneticsoftheirnationsformercolonizer.

Thecollisionbetweennationallanguagesanddigitaltechnologyiscomplexandcontested.SoIfearlaunchingintothemyriaddebateslestIneverleavethehousetobegintheday

However,theopedthatChinuaAchebejustpublishedintheNewYorkTimes,NigeriasPromise,AfricasHopehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/opinion/16achebe.html?_r=1&hpcompelsmetostayalittlelongerintheblogosphere.

II.

Achebesarticleisanimportant,tightlyreasonedaccountofcontemporaryNigeriasconflictandcorruption.Itleftmeatoncesoberedandhopeful.Butonelinegavemepause.AfterreferringtotodaysAfricanchaos,Achebewrites:

Africaspostcolonialdispositionistheresultofapeoplewhohavelostthehabitofrulingthemselves,forgottentheirtraditionalwayofthinking,embracingandengagingtheworldwithoutsufficientpreparation.(myemphasis)

AchebesremarkaboutAfricangovernancespurredmetothinkaboutthewaxaleofmyresearchadvisor,ProfesseurFaye.DuringthechatIalludedtoabove,IaskedProf.FayeaquestionthatanAmericanscholarshipinterviewerhadaskedme:"technologyleadstoincorrectgrammarallaroundtheworld.TeensinFrance,inAmerica,everywhere,areabbreviatingandchangingspellingsforconveniencessake.SowhydoesitmatterifDakaroisteensuseFrenchspellinginsteadofWolofsstandardorthography?Isntitjusttheabilitytocommunicatethatcounts?"

MostFacebookusersthatIvespokenwithwouldagreewiththisAmericaninterviewer;spellingisirrelevant.Itstheabilitytounderstandoneanotherthatmatters.

Prof.Fayedisagrees.Buttomysurprise,hisdefensewasnotexactlythelinguisticpurismIhadexpectedfromaclassicallinguist.Ineffect,hislogicseemedalinguisticmirrorofAchebes.

IhadmadeavideoclipsoyoucouldhearProf.Fayeswaxaleforyourself.ButunfortunatelyI'mhavinginternetproblems,soIwilldomybesttosummarize.

Intheclip,Prof.FayearguesthattheeffectsofFacebookandinternetforumsonlanguagearenotthesameinEuropeastheyareinAfrica.Europeangrammarsandorthographiesarealreadycodified.Soatworst,Frenchchildrenfondof'leverlan'willsufferinschoolbecausetheywillhavedeveloppedaninformalspellingthattheirteacherswontaccept.Incontrast,Africanorthographieshaveonlyrecentlybeencodified.DuetoWolof'sunsteadyfootingasawrittenlanguage,Facebookwillcauseabsolute"chaos"intheWoloflanguage.

Prof.Fayequalifiedthatyouthshouldbecommendedforusingtheinternet,andventuringintoglobalnetworksofcommunicationandinformation.However,theyhaveforgottenhowtobelinguisticallyautonomous,hecautioned.TheyareforcedtoleanonthephoneticsystemthattheFrenchimposedontheirancestors,whichdoesnotdoservicetotheWoloflanguage.

IseeProf.Fayespoint.Ialsoseenowthat'linguisticautonomy'isashardtoachieveaspoliticalautonomyinapostcolonialstate.However,whatisthealternative?WecannottelltechcrazyteensinSenegalesecybercafesthattheymustwaittousetheinternetuntiltheyhavemasteredproperWoloforthography.JustasforeignpoliticianscannottellAfricangovernmentstowaittogoverntheirowndemocracies.

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