Classical language: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:18, 24 June 2025

Revision as of 22:19, 24 June 2025

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Africa, the birthplace of humanity, is also home to the recorded oldest literary tradition in Ancient Egyptian literature. Much Greek literature was written in Africa, such as [[Philo of Alexandria]]. As for Latin literature, much of it was likewise written on the continent with writers such as [[Augustine of Hippo]], who was also of Berber descent. The Coptic literary tradition is a significant North African classical language that emerged from the Ancient Egyptian language.

As for subsaharan Africa, Classical Ethiopic, or [[Ge’ez]], is the oldest continuous writing tradition with surviving manuscripts dating to c. 300 BCE (e.g. [[the [[Garima Gospels]]). Older than Ge’ez are the literary traditions of Moroe and Nubia, though much of their writing does not survive to present day.

Arabic has dominated as the most widely used classical language throughout Africa, though notable pockets of independent literary traditions developed in places such as [[Harar]] and many pockets of West Africa in languages such as [[Fula]] and [[Manding]]. The use of the Arabic script was common among these traditions and, within the African context, is known as [[Ajami]].

== General usage ==