Literacy is essentially about the control of information, memory, and belief, and with colonialism in Southern Africa came the Bible and text-based literacy monitored by missionaries and colonial authorities. Old and new oral traditions, however, are beyond the control of empire and often carry the resistance, hopes, and dreams of colonized people. The essays in this volume recover aspects of Southern Africa's rich oral tradition. The authors, from disciplines such as anthropology, African literature, and biblical studies, delineate some of the contours of the indigenous knowledge systems which sustained resistance to colonialism and today provide resources for postapartheid society in Southern Africa. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)

Xhosa oral poetry has defied the threats to its integrity over two centuries, to take its place in a free South Africa. This volume establishes the background to this poetic re-emergence, preserving and transmitting the voice of the Xhosa poet.

Ancient Southeast Asia provides readers with a much needed synthesis of the latest discoveries and research in the archaeology of the region, presenting the evolution of complex societies in Southeast Asia from the protohistoric period, beginning around 500BC, to the arrival of British and Dutch colonists in 1600. Well-illustrated throughout, this comprehensive account explores the factors which established Southeast Asia as an area of unique cultural fusion. Miksic and Goh explore how the local population exploited the abundant resources available, developing maritime transport routes which resulted in economic and cultural wealth, including some of the most elaborate art styles and monumental complexes ever constructed. The book’s broad geographical and temporal coverage, including a chapter on the natural environment, provides readers with the context needed to understand this staggeringly diverse region. It utilizes French, Dutch, Chinese, Malay-Indonesian and Burmese sources and synthesizes interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and data from archaeology, history and art history. Offering key opportunities for comparative research with other centres of early socio-economic complexity, Ancient Southeast Asia establishes the area’s importance in world history.

'Computer aided' is somewhat daunting in books dating from 1980 but the underlying purpose of this book, to provide linguistically ordered lists of 6,662 proper names excerpted from Sumerian and Akkadian texts, remains useful since most of our knowledge of the non-Akkadian Semitic dialect comes from these names.

What are the 24 words for 'you' in Indonesian? Why does Indonesian have four words for 'rice but no exact equivalent of 'farm'? How do you say 'Bang!' 'Ouch!' and 'Eh?'. What is the difference between dong and doang in colloquial Indonesian? How did the name of the Hindu god Indra give us the modern Indonesian word for motor vehicle? Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student of Indonesian, The Learner's Dictionary of Today's Indonesian is an essential tool to help you gain an authentic, up-to-date, and active command of the language. It provides a wholly new, very detailed snapshot of the core vocabulary of Indonesian. Among its features are: * thousand of illustrative sentences * an easy pronunciation guide * extensive cross-referencing * helpful tips on usage * topic lists which group the dictionary's words according to 42 'common usage' areas, including time, colours, daily activities, the home, sport, occupations, mass media, religion and business. A unique feature of the dictionary is the dozens of boxes giving invaluable information on everyday usage, word origins and nuances of meaning. Rich in information on the cultural context in which words are used, it includes notes on the difficulties learners experience arising from differences in culture and history between English-speakers and Indonesian-speakers. The Learner's Dictionary of Today's Indonesian is the first comprehensive dictionary designed specifically to help you gain a practical command of the national language of one of the world's most populous nations.