Swahili at Duquesne
Starting in the Spring 2017 semester, in conjunction with the Center for African Studies, Duquesne University will begin to offer a course of study in Swahili. It will be taught by Fr. Bill Christie.
This is not the first time Swahili has been offered as a course at Duquesne. Back in the 1960s, during the days of the African Institute, this widely-spoken language was taken by many students. In fact, from those days, the Gumberg Library has a robust collection of materials in Swahili. This research guide is designed to connect Gumberg Library users with these materials, as well as others on the language and the people who speak it. Click the tabs along the top of the screen to move to the different sections of this guide.
Related Research Guides
This research guide was created and is maintained by Ted Bergfelt, MLS, and Vicki Hartung, MLS.
Swahili and the Spiritans
Since its early days, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit has sent missionaries to Africa. To bring the gospel to people in other lands, it is essential to know the languages spoken by them. For this reason, the Spiritans have produced world-class linguists who have become recognized experts on a number of languages. As far as Swahili is concerned, the Spiritans have produced two, Frs. Charles Sacleux and Alfons Loogman. Above is a picture of Fr. Sacleux, who worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Below are links to Fr. Sacleux's French-Swahili dictionary and his grammar of Swahili dialects. Click the Loogman tab at the top of the screen to see more about Fr. Loogman.
The photo of Fr. Sacleux is from The Spiritans: A History of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, by Fr. Henry Koren (1958).
