Ernst Oswald Johannes Westphal
Encyclopedia
Ernst Oswald Johannes Westphal (1919-1990), was a South African linguist
and an expert in Bantu
and Khoisan languages
.
Ernst Westphal was born at Khalavha in Venda
, the son of German Lutheran missionary
parents. Already as a child he was fluent in German
, English
, and Afrikaans. His first and native language, however, was Venda
, and as a child he was initiated into the partly secret Venda rites for young men. He studied Zulu
and Southern Sotho
under Clement Martyn Doke
at the University of the Witwatersrand
and, after graduating in 1942, was a Lecturer there 1942-1947. He was Lecturer in Bantu Languages at the School of Oriental and African Studies
at the University of London 1949-1962, and Professor of African Languages in the School of African studies at the University of Cape Town
, South Africa
, from 1962 until his retirement in 1984, and recognized as the world's leading authority on the click languages of the San, the Khoisan languages
, in many of which he was almost supernaturally fluent. His Portuguese was good enough to allow him to translate texts and inscriptions found in Mozambique from their original language into Portuguese, and he spent time doing this at the request of the Portuguese government, also collaborating with Prof. de Almeida.
His doctoral thesis The Sentence in Venda (University of London
, 1955) is said to have been based entirely on his own knowledge of the language, using no other source. According to Rycroft's obituary, Westphal, although originally an expert in the Bantu languages, was fluent in more than a dozen Southern African languages, and he spoke many others well.
Westphal's family has been deeply involved in the cultural life of South Africa for over a hundred years. His grandfather, Gotthilf Ernst Westphal, for example, saw the potential of the teenage Sol Plaatje
, then a student at the Mission Station in Pniel, and gave him private tuition. Among other contributions, Plaatje was a founder and first General Secretary of the ANC. Like E.O.J. Westphal, he possessed extraordinary linguistic gifts, and he was a polyglot. Westphal was also one of the founders of SANCCOB (South African National Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds), the story of which is documented in Marie Philip's book "Gregory Jackass Penguin". Westphal is survived by two sons: Robin Peter, b. 1945, and Jonathan Gotthard, b. 1951, a professor of philosophy.
Prof. Westphal is buried in Port Appin, Scotland, near Oban, and his tombstone carries the words, "A True Son of Venda".
A Festschrift
was posthumously published in his honour, African linguistic contributions: presented in honour of Ernst Westphal, ed. by Derek F. Gowlett (Pretoria: Via Afrika, 1992).
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and an expert in Bantu
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
and Khoisan languages
Khoisan languages
The Khoisan languages are the click languages of Africa which do not belong to other language families. They include languages indigenous to southern and eastern Africa, though some, such as the Khoi languages, appear to have moved to their current locations not long before the Bantu expansion...
.
Ernst Westphal was born at Khalavha in Venda
Venda
Venda was a bantustan in northern South Africa, now part of Limpopo province. It was founded as a homeland for the Venda people, speakers of the Venda language. It bordered modern Zimbabwe and South Africa, and is now part of Limpopo in South Africa....
, the son of German Lutheran missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
parents. Already as a child he was fluent in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and Afrikaans. His first and native language, however, was Venda
Venda language
Venda, also known as or , is a Bantu language and an official language of South Africa. The majority of Venda speakers live in the northern part of South Africa's Limpopo Province, but about 10% of speakers live in Zimbabwe. The Venda language is related to Kalanga which is spoken in Botswana...
, and as a child he was initiated into the partly secret Venda rites for young men. He studied Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
and Southern Sotho
Sesotho language
The Sotho language, also known as Sesotho, Southern Sotho, or Southern Sesotho, is a Bantu language spoken primarily in South Africa, where it is one of the 11 official languages, and in Lesotho, where it is the national language...
under Clement Martyn Doke
Clement Martyn Doke
Clement Martyn Doke was a South African linguist working mainly on African languages...
at the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
and, after graduating in 1942, was a Lecturer there 1942-1947. He was Lecturer in Bantu Languages at the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
at the University of London 1949-1962, and Professor of African Languages in the School of African studies at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, from 1962 until his retirement in 1984, and recognized as the world's leading authority on the click languages of the San, the Khoisan languages
Khoisan languages
The Khoisan languages are the click languages of Africa which do not belong to other language families. They include languages indigenous to southern and eastern Africa, though some, such as the Khoi languages, appear to have moved to their current locations not long before the Bantu expansion...
, in many of which he was almost supernaturally fluent. His Portuguese was good enough to allow him to translate texts and inscriptions found in Mozambique from their original language into Portuguese, and he spent time doing this at the request of the Portuguese government, also collaborating with Prof. de Almeida.
His doctoral thesis The Sentence in Venda (University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, 1955) is said to have been based entirely on his own knowledge of the language, using no other source. According to Rycroft's obituary, Westphal, although originally an expert in the Bantu languages, was fluent in more than a dozen Southern African languages, and he spoke many others well.
Westphal's family has been deeply involved in the cultural life of South Africa for over a hundred years. His grandfather, Gotthilf Ernst Westphal, for example, saw the potential of the teenage Sol Plaatje
Sol Plaatje
Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje was a South African intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator, and writer. The Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, which includes the city of Kimberley, was named after him.-Early life:...
, then a student at the Mission Station in Pniel, and gave him private tuition. Among other contributions, Plaatje was a founder and first General Secretary of the ANC. Like E.O.J. Westphal, he possessed extraordinary linguistic gifts, and he was a polyglot. Westphal was also one of the founders of SANCCOB (South African National Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds), the story of which is documented in Marie Philip's book "Gregory Jackass Penguin". Westphal is survived by two sons: Robin Peter, b. 1945, and Jonathan Gotthard, b. 1951, a professor of philosophy.
Prof. Westphal is buried in Port Appin, Scotland, near Oban, and his tombstone carries the words, "A True Son of Venda".
A Festschrift
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
was posthumously published in his honour, African linguistic contributions: presented in honour of Ernst Westphal, ed. by Derek F. Gowlett (Pretoria: Via Afrika, 1992).