Linguistic Diversity and Plurality in Africa

Nearly one‐third of all the earth's languages, over 2000, are spoken on the continent of Africa. Classification around African languages draws social boundaries and is emotionally charged, with deep historical roots, important to personal identity as well as local and national politics. Problems in language classification can be traced to the colonial project. As white, European, colonial officers and early anthropologists encountered Africa's vast language diversity, they often fixed languages in place, while yoking them to African identity. Africa's many growing urban centers are densely multilingual environments. As many of the oldest African languages have fewer speakers, new languages and hybrid dialects are continually generated and transformed in Africa's cities. Multilingual urban African youth play a crucial role in shaping the linguistic pluralism of modern African nations and this contribution should not be overlooked. Urban youth languages act as an interethnic bridge in the Africa's rich urban environment.