European women and the description and teaching of African languages

Women have contributed to the description of African languages in academia and in mission stations since the dawn of the twentieth century until the end of colonialism. From the beginning their publications were received as well as those of their male colleagues, even though they were disadvantaged in their scholarly work. In academia they had fewer opportunities to make a good career than their male colleagues and usually had less prestigious jobs. Some women assisted the male linguist in the household as learned spouses, sisters, or daughters. In Catholic and Protestant missionary congregations, men usually received a professional training, some even in linguistics, while only educated women could be sent as missionaries on their own. In Protestant congregations, women without professional education would be sent only as wives or sisters of a male missionary.

Colonialism · Disadvantaged · Political science · Protestantism · Sociology · African history and culture analysis · African history and culture studies · Gender Studies · Historical Linguistics and Language Studies · History · Law