It is a well established fact that every culture contact has its effect on language. Every new thing or concept that is introduced requires a name. This is achieved either by coining a word in the language of the people to whom it is introduced or by the adoption of a foreign word. Thus it is possible to trace the different culture influences on any people by establishing the origin of the foreign words in their language. The fact that in Swahili most commercial terms are of Arabic origin (e.g. fedha = money, duka = shop, biashara = trade, &c.) would seem to prove that from ancient times Arabic traders sold their wares on the coast of East Africa. Today the increasing number of English words in Swahili is indicative of the influence of British administration and its introduction of modern amenities (baisikeli = bicycle, motakaa = motor-car, reli = railway, &c). The spread of Christianity in Africa may be seen by the general use of such words as padre (priest), ubatizo (baptism), Biblia (Bible), &c, as also from the use of Christian names now heard everywhere. Even among pagans there are so-called wapenda jina (people who desire a name), who are ashamed of their pagan names and call themselves Pauli, Kasiani, &c, in order to belong, by name at least, to Christianity, the religion of the day.

LES PRINCIPES DE L'ADAPTATION PHONÉTIQUE EN SUAHÉLI, APPLIQUÉS AUX PRÉNOMS CHRÉTIENS

En conséquence du contact avec l'Europe plusieurs mots étrangers, aussi que des prénoms européens, se trouvent aujourd'hui dans les langues africaines. On admet, généralement, que de tels mots doivent être adaptés conformément aux lois phonétiques des languès indigènes. Cependant les noms de personnes sont fréquemment employés sans aucune adaptation, ou bien modifiés en des manières diverses. L'auteur se met à exposer les principes selon lesquels il se propose de rédacter une list de prénoms chrétiens afin d'en assurer une forme unifiée adaptée aux lois phonétiques suahéli.