Emiliano Minerba | University Of Bayreuth, Germany (original) (raw)

Papers by Emiliano Minerba

Kervan, 2024

The aim of this paper is to analyse the versification practices of four Bantu languages-Swahili, ... more The aim of this paper is to analyse the versification practices of four Bantu languages-Swahili, Tswana, Zulu and Chewa-in a comparative perspective. This comparison is based on the fact that the suprasegmental phonologies of these four languages share a common feature, penultimate lengthening. It will be claimed that penultimate lengthening is the main linguistic feature that organises the line in the poetic traditions taken into account. As a linguistic phenomenon, penultimate lengthening shows some variation in its function among the four languages: it will be shown that this corresponds to analogous variations in the versification practices. The ultimate aim of this paper is to encourage further research in the field of stylistics of Bantu poetic traditions, a domain where joint work between linguists and scholars in literary studies could lead to innovative and fruitful results.

Studia orientalia electronica, Dec 17, 2018

This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using ... more This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using an approach that considers the humoristic dimension of this character. The definition of humorism employed here is that given by Pirandello: the result of an aesthetic process in which the comic effect deriving from an object of laughter is tempered and contrasted by a "sentiment of the contrary" that observes and builds empathy with the inner contradictions of the object itself. After a short outline of Mfalme Juha's critical history, which shows that the humoristic dimension of King Juha has never been considered in critiques, this paper focuses on an analysis of this character, in which the core feature of egocentricity is identified. Juha's egocentricity and its humoristic nature are analysed in the character's relationship with his subjects and in his idea of art and culture; in both cases it is shown that what is important is not the wickedness or egoism of Juha, but his lack of comprehension of the world. Juha is incapable of understanding his environment and other people, since he cannot doubt his own superiority: this puts him in several comic situations but also makes him a victim of his smarter subjects. Thus, he arouses a feeling of sympathy in which Pirandello's sentiment of the contrary can be traced. Here, in rhetorical irony, we cannot take seriously what is said; there, in Romantic irony, we cannot take seriously what is done. Rhetorical irony, compared to Romantic irony, would be like the famous frog in the fable, 3 which, once hauled into the intricate world of metaphysical German Idealism and filling itself up with wind rather than water, could have reached the envied dimensions of the ox. Pretence, the artificial contradiction which rhetorical irony talks about, has become here, by blowing itself up so much, the vain appearance of the universe. Now, if humorism

Quaderni di studi arabi, Dec 22, 2020

The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolof... more The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolofal verses. Wolofal is a genre, developed between 1800 and 1900 in Senegambia, of poetry in Wolof but composed according to Arabic metrical schemas and stanzas. From the beginning this genre used al-Ḫalīl’s metres, widely employed in Classical Arabic literature: it was therefore necessary for wolofal poets to elaborate a prosodic norm that allowed them to use the Arabic metres with their language’s phonology. Among the phonological particularities of Wolof one finds the syllabic structures CVC and CVCC, the possibility of crasis between different words, and the particular phonological status of prenasalised and geminate consonants. All these peculiarities have certain consequences for the metric and prosodic organisation of the verse, which will be analysed here both through metrical analysis of the texts studied, and by looking at the orthography adopted for the transcription of these poems in Arabic script.

Wolof language is knowing a period of rapid increment of its status and prestige, which is making... more Wolof language is knowing a period of rapid increment of its status and prestige, which is making it, from being one of the several local languages of Senegal, the second vehicular language of the country alongside with French. To this increasing status, also a rapid evolution of Wolof literature is accompanied: this particular development has started before the independency of Senegal, with the activity of Muridiyya brotherhood at the beginning of the 20th. This paper aims at being an introduction to the Wolof language from these two aspects: the socio-linguistic one, where the extents and limitations of the employment of Wolof in Senegal will be outlined, and the literary one, when the rapid developments in Wolof literature – and particularly poetry – from the beginning of the last century will be presented

This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach ... more This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach based on the dimension of horror. Despite the pervasive strength of this element in Mashetani, it has rarely been considered as anything more than a mere stylistic element in a vision of this drama which approaches its contents only, using allegory. In this study, Mashetani will be read from a different point of view, which sees the horrific element as bearer of new contents and new subjects not always reachable through an allegorical interpretation, in order not only to make a contribution to literary criticism of this drama, but also to emphasize how horror can acquire an analytic function besides its stylistic role

Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies, 2022

Afrikanistik Aegyptologie Online, Dec 31, 2020

In this paper I will propose a prosodic analysis of three important metres of the Swahili literar... more In this paper I will propose a prosodic analysis of three important metres of the Swahili literary tradition, which are utenzi, shairi and wimbo. Despite the great difference between them concerning usage and context of composition, in fact, their metrical and prosodic features show that they have a common historical development. The origin of these three metre is to be individuated in the Arabic poetic tradition of ḥumaynī poetry, a Yemeni development of the genre of muwaššaḥa, that was developed in the Omayyad Andalusia and then spread all over the Arabic world. Some common features between ḥumaynī poetry and the three aforementioned Swahili metres will be outlined, concerning both the prosody of the verses and rhyme patterns: in conclusion of the analysis, I will claim that utenzi, shairi and wimbo are the result of an hybridization between the forms of ḥumaynī poetry and the local, and probably pre-existent, prosodic tradition of utumbuizo, carried out willingly by the intellect...

The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s horror short story Mayai – Waziri wa Maradhi (“Mayai –Minis... more The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s horror short story Mayai – Waziri wa Maradhi (“Mayai –Minister of Disease) can to a great extent shed light on its author’s opinions on Tanzanian politics and how he expresses them in his literary work. A large part of the political content of this text cannot be appreciated without considering the element of horror per se, as a feature that is not only stylistic. This paper aims to analyze such work as an example of the horror story genre, employing specific tools of interpretation which can enlighten the way in which the uncanny dimension affects and generates content. Although there are numerous allegories in Kezilahabi’s short story, my critique also aims to show how such literary elements can be analyzed and explained by looking at them per se, instead of reading them only as symbols of the external elements they receive their sense from, as it is the case for allegory. Hadithi ya kitisho ya Euphrase Kezilahabi Mayai – Waziri wa Maradhi ina...

The Metrical Features of Old Swahili Dance Poems, 2021

This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due... more This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due to their antiquity, present very different stylistic elements from later compositions based on regular metres inspired from Arabic poetry. The particularity of tumbuizo poems has often led scholars to label them as unmetrical; I will demonstrate here that instead they do present a metre, yet very different from the later, syllabic, ones, and I will expose its main features, with a particular emphasis on the role of stress in its structuring. A study of metre and prosody in Swahili literature has rarely explored those domains of poetry which are outside the sphere of classical metres, whose constraints are well known by both scholars and Swahili composers; it is my hope, therefore, that this paper will contribute to a new focus on this field of literary studies, often neglected.

The Metrical Features of Old Swahili Dance Poems, 2021

This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due... more This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due to their antiquity, present very different stylistic elements from later compositions based on regular metres inspired from Arabic poetry. The particularity of tumbuizo poems has often led scholars to label them as unmetrical; I will demonstrate here that instead they do present a metre, yet very different from the later, syllabic, ones, and I will expose its main features, with a particular emphasis on the role of stress in its structuring. A study of metre and prosody in Swahili literature has rarely explored those domains of poetry which are outside the sphere of classical metres, whose constraints are well known by both scholars and Swahili composers; it is my hope, therefore, that this paper will contribute to a new focus on this field of literary studies, often neglected.

The Metrical Features of Old Swahili Dance Poems, 2021

This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due... more This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due to their antiquity, present very different stylistic elements from later compositions based on regular metres inspired from Arabic poetry. The particularity of tumbuizo poems has often led scholars to label them as unmetrical; I will demonstrate here that instead they do present a metre, yet very different from the later, syllabic, ones, and I will expose its main features, with a particular emphasis on the role of stress in its structuring. A study of metre and prosody in Swahili literature has rarely explored those domains of poetry which are outside the sphere of classical metres, whose constraints are well known by both scholars and Swahili composers; it is my hope, therefore, that this paper will contribute to a new focus on this field of literary studies, often neglected.

Quaderni di Studi Arabi

The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolof... more The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolofal verses. Wolofal is a genre, developed between 1800 and 1900 in Senegambia, of poetry in Wolof but composed according to Arabic metrical schemas and stanzas. From the beginning this genre used al-Ḫalīl’s metres, widely employed in Classical Arabic literature: it was therefore necessary for wolofal poets to elaborate a prosodic norm that allowed them to use the Arabic metres with their language’s phonology. Among the phonological particularities of Wolof one finds the syllabic structures CVC and CVCC, the possibility of crasis between different words, and the particular phonological status of prenasalised and geminate consonants. All these peculiarities have certain consequences for the metric and prosodic organisation of the verse, which will be analysed here both through metrical analysis of the texts studied, and by looking at the orthography adopted for the transcription of these po...

Studia Orientalia Electronica

This paper discusses the character of King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Far... more This paper discusses the character of King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using an approach that considers the humoristic dimension of this character. The definition of humorism employed here is that given by Pirandello: the result of an aesthetic process in which the comic effect deriving from an object of laughter is tempered and contrasted by a “sentiment of the contrary” that observes and builds empathy with the inner contradictions of the object itself. After a short outline of Mfalme Juha’s critical history which shows that the humoristic dimension of King Juha has never been considered in critiques, this paper focuses on an analysis of this character, in which the core feature of egocentricity is identified. Juha’s egocentricity and its humoristic nature are analysed in the character’s relationship with his subjects as their king and in his idea of art and culture; in both cases it is shown that what is important is not the wickedness or egoi...

Materialism and secularism in Swahili literature: The case of Topan's Aliyeonja Pepo, 2020

Concepts like materialism and secular thought have formed the basis of literary works of some of ... more Concepts like materialism and secular thought have formed the basis of literary works of some of the most important authors of modern literature, such as Kezilahabi, Hussein, Mulokozi, and Topan. The value of such concepts has not always been admitted by critics: all these authors, in fact, have faced various difficulties related to their works, from open refusal (in Kezilahabi's case) to a reluctant acceptance that neglected their critical points (in Topan's and Hussein's cases). The aim of this paper is to show to what extent secularism, materialism, and laicism are fundamental to these writers by selecting one case study, that of Topan's comedy Aliyeonja Pepo, and exploring its critique of religion, both independently and in comparison with the other aforementioned authors. Recognizing the presence of these concepts, in fact, would allow for a deeper analysis of the internal structures of these texts and mark an advance in their critical studies.

Kervan. International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies, 2020

The origin of the Swahili stanzaic metres Emiliano Minerba In this paper I will propose a prosodi... more The origin of the Swahili stanzaic metres Emiliano Minerba In this paper I will propose a prosodic analysis of three important metres of the Swahili literary tradition, which are utenzi, shairi and wimbo. Despite the great difference between them concerning usage and context of composition, in fact, their metrical and prosodic features show that they have a common historical development. The origin of these three metres is to be found in the Arabic poetic tradition of ḥumaynī poetry, a Yemeni development of the genre of muwaššaḥa, that was developed in the Omayyad Andalusia and then spread all over the Arabic world. Some common features between ḥumaynī poetry and the three aforementioned Swahili metres will be outlined, concerning both the prosody of the verses and rhyme patterns: in conclusion of the analysis, I will claim that utenzi, shairi and wimbo are the result of an hybridization between the forms of ḥumaynī poetry and the local, and probably pre-existent, prosodic tradition of utumbuizo, carried out willingly by the intellectual class of the beginnings of the classical period of Swahili literature.

Studia Orientalia Electronica, 2018

This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using ... more This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using an approach that considers the humoristic dimension of this character. The definition of humorism employed here is that given by Pirandello: the result of an aesthetic process in which the comic effect deriving from an object of laughter is tempered and contrasted by a "sentiment of the contrary" that observes and builds empathy with the inner contradictions of the object itself. After a short outline of Mfalme Juha's critical history, which shows that the humoristic dimension of King Juha has never been considered in critiques, this paper focuses on an analysis of this character, in which the core feature of egocentricity is identified. Juha's egocentricity and its humoristic nature are analysed in the character's relationship with his subjects and in his idea of art and culture; in both cases it is shown that what is important is not the wickedness or egoism of Juha, but his lack of comprehension of the world. Juha is incapable of understanding his environment and other people, since he cannot doubt his own superiority: this puts him in several comic situations but also makes him a victim of his smarter subjects. Thus, he arouses a feeling of sympathy in which Pirandello's sentiment of the contrary can be traced.

Nordic Journal of African Studies, 2018

The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi's horror short story Mayai-Waziri wa Maradhi ("Mayai-Minister... more The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi's horror short story Mayai-Waziri wa Maradhi ("Mayai-Minister of Disease) can to a great extent shed light on its author's opinions on Tanzanian politics and how he expresses them in his literary work. A large part of the political content of this text cannot be appreciated without considering the element of horror per se, as a feature that is not only stylistic. This paper aims to analyze such work as an example of the horror story genre, employing specific tools of interpretation which can enlighten the way in which the uncanny dimension affects and generates content. Although there are numerous allegories in Kezilahabi's short story, my critique also aims to show how such literary elements can be analyzed and explained by looking at them per se, instead of reading them only as symbols of the external elements they receive their sense from, as it is the case for allegory.

Swahili Forum, 2017

This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach ... more This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach based on the dimension of horror. Despite the pervasive strength of this element in Mashetani, it has rarely been considered as anything more than a mere stylistic element in a vision of this drama which approaches its contents only, using allegory. In this study, Mashetani will be read from a different point of view, which sees the horrific element as bearer of new contents and new subjects not always reachable through an allegorical interpretation, in order not only to make a contribution to literary
criticism of this drama, but also to emphasize how horror can acquire an analytic function besides its stylistic role.

Kervan, 2024

The aim of this paper is to analyse the versification practices of four Bantu languages-Swahili, ... more The aim of this paper is to analyse the versification practices of four Bantu languages-Swahili, Tswana, Zulu and Chewa-in a comparative perspective. This comparison is based on the fact that the suprasegmental phonologies of these four languages share a common feature, penultimate lengthening. It will be claimed that penultimate lengthening is the main linguistic feature that organises the line in the poetic traditions taken into account. As a linguistic phenomenon, penultimate lengthening shows some variation in its function among the four languages: it will be shown that this corresponds to analogous variations in the versification practices. The ultimate aim of this paper is to encourage further research in the field of stylistics of Bantu poetic traditions, a domain where joint work between linguists and scholars in literary studies could lead to innovative and fruitful results.

Studia orientalia electronica, Dec 17, 2018

This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using ... more This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using an approach that considers the humoristic dimension of this character. The definition of humorism employed here is that given by Pirandello: the result of an aesthetic process in which the comic effect deriving from an object of laughter is tempered and contrasted by a "sentiment of the contrary" that observes and builds empathy with the inner contradictions of the object itself. After a short outline of Mfalme Juha's critical history, which shows that the humoristic dimension of King Juha has never been considered in critiques, this paper focuses on an analysis of this character, in which the core feature of egocentricity is identified. Juha's egocentricity and its humoristic nature are analysed in the character's relationship with his subjects and in his idea of art and culture; in both cases it is shown that what is important is not the wickedness or egoism of Juha, but his lack of comprehension of the world. Juha is incapable of understanding his environment and other people, since he cannot doubt his own superiority: this puts him in several comic situations but also makes him a victim of his smarter subjects. Thus, he arouses a feeling of sympathy in which Pirandello's sentiment of the contrary can be traced. Here, in rhetorical irony, we cannot take seriously what is said; there, in Romantic irony, we cannot take seriously what is done. Rhetorical irony, compared to Romantic irony, would be like the famous frog in the fable, 3 which, once hauled into the intricate world of metaphysical German Idealism and filling itself up with wind rather than water, could have reached the envied dimensions of the ox. Pretence, the artificial contradiction which rhetorical irony talks about, has become here, by blowing itself up so much, the vain appearance of the universe. Now, if humorism

Quaderni di studi arabi, Dec 22, 2020

The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolof... more The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolofal verses. Wolofal is a genre, developed between 1800 and 1900 in Senegambia, of poetry in Wolof but composed according to Arabic metrical schemas and stanzas. From the beginning this genre used al-Ḫalīl’s metres, widely employed in Classical Arabic literature: it was therefore necessary for wolofal poets to elaborate a prosodic norm that allowed them to use the Arabic metres with their language’s phonology. Among the phonological particularities of Wolof one finds the syllabic structures CVC and CVCC, the possibility of crasis between different words, and the particular phonological status of prenasalised and geminate consonants. All these peculiarities have certain consequences for the metric and prosodic organisation of the verse, which will be analysed here both through metrical analysis of the texts studied, and by looking at the orthography adopted for the transcription of these poems in Arabic script.

Wolof language is knowing a period of rapid increment of its status and prestige, which is making... more Wolof language is knowing a period of rapid increment of its status and prestige, which is making it, from being one of the several local languages of Senegal, the second vehicular language of the country alongside with French. To this increasing status, also a rapid evolution of Wolof literature is accompanied: this particular development has started before the independency of Senegal, with the activity of Muridiyya brotherhood at the beginning of the 20th. This paper aims at being an introduction to the Wolof language from these two aspects: the socio-linguistic one, where the extents and limitations of the employment of Wolof in Senegal will be outlined, and the literary one, when the rapid developments in Wolof literature – and particularly poetry – from the beginning of the last century will be presented

This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach ... more This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach based on the dimension of horror. Despite the pervasive strength of this element in Mashetani, it has rarely been considered as anything more than a mere stylistic element in a vision of this drama which approaches its contents only, using allegory. In this study, Mashetani will be read from a different point of view, which sees the horrific element as bearer of new contents and new subjects not always reachable through an allegorical interpretation, in order not only to make a contribution to literary criticism of this drama, but also to emphasize how horror can acquire an analytic function besides its stylistic role

Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies, 2022

Afrikanistik Aegyptologie Online, Dec 31, 2020

In this paper I will propose a prosodic analysis of three important metres of the Swahili literar... more In this paper I will propose a prosodic analysis of three important metres of the Swahili literary tradition, which are utenzi, shairi and wimbo. Despite the great difference between them concerning usage and context of composition, in fact, their metrical and prosodic features show that they have a common historical development. The origin of these three metre is to be individuated in the Arabic poetic tradition of ḥumaynī poetry, a Yemeni development of the genre of muwaššaḥa, that was developed in the Omayyad Andalusia and then spread all over the Arabic world. Some common features between ḥumaynī poetry and the three aforementioned Swahili metres will be outlined, concerning both the prosody of the verses and rhyme patterns: in conclusion of the analysis, I will claim that utenzi, shairi and wimbo are the result of an hybridization between the forms of ḥumaynī poetry and the local, and probably pre-existent, prosodic tradition of utumbuizo, carried out willingly by the intellect...

The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s horror short story Mayai – Waziri wa Maradhi (“Mayai –Minis... more The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s horror short story Mayai – Waziri wa Maradhi (“Mayai –Minister of Disease) can to a great extent shed light on its author’s opinions on Tanzanian politics and how he expresses them in his literary work. A large part of the political content of this text cannot be appreciated without considering the element of horror per se, as a feature that is not only stylistic. This paper aims to analyze such work as an example of the horror story genre, employing specific tools of interpretation which can enlighten the way in which the uncanny dimension affects and generates content. Although there are numerous allegories in Kezilahabi’s short story, my critique also aims to show how such literary elements can be analyzed and explained by looking at them per se, instead of reading them only as symbols of the external elements they receive their sense from, as it is the case for allegory. Hadithi ya kitisho ya Euphrase Kezilahabi Mayai – Waziri wa Maradhi ina...

The Metrical Features of Old Swahili Dance Poems, 2021

This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due... more This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due to their antiquity, present very different stylistic elements from later compositions based on regular metres inspired from Arabic poetry. The particularity of tumbuizo poems has often led scholars to label them as unmetrical; I will demonstrate here that instead they do present a metre, yet very different from the later, syllabic, ones, and I will expose its main features, with a particular emphasis on the role of stress in its structuring. A study of metre and prosody in Swahili literature has rarely explored those domains of poetry which are outside the sphere of classical metres, whose constraints are well known by both scholars and Swahili composers; it is my hope, therefore, that this paper will contribute to a new focus on this field of literary studies, often neglected.

The Metrical Features of Old Swahili Dance Poems, 2021

This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due... more This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due to their antiquity, present very different stylistic elements from later compositions based on regular metres inspired from Arabic poetry. The particularity of tumbuizo poems has often led scholars to label them as unmetrical; I will demonstrate here that instead they do present a metre, yet very different from the later, syllabic, ones, and I will expose its main features, with a particular emphasis on the role of stress in its structuring. A study of metre and prosody in Swahili literature has rarely explored those domains of poetry which are outside the sphere of classical metres, whose constraints are well known by both scholars and Swahili composers; it is my hope, therefore, that this paper will contribute to a new focus on this field of literary studies, often neglected.

The Metrical Features of Old Swahili Dance Poems, 2021

This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due... more This paper aims to describe the metrical features of tumbuizo, Swahili poems which, allegedly due to their antiquity, present very different stylistic elements from later compositions based on regular metres inspired from Arabic poetry. The particularity of tumbuizo poems has often led scholars to label them as unmetrical; I will demonstrate here that instead they do present a metre, yet very different from the later, syllabic, ones, and I will expose its main features, with a particular emphasis on the role of stress in its structuring. A study of metre and prosody in Swahili literature has rarely explored those domains of poetry which are outside the sphere of classical metres, whose constraints are well known by both scholars and Swahili composers; it is my hope, therefore, that this paper will contribute to a new focus on this field of literary studies, often neglected.

Quaderni di Studi Arabi

The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolof... more The paper focuses on the prosodic norms that rule the formation of the metrical patterns of wolofal verses. Wolofal is a genre, developed between 1800 and 1900 in Senegambia, of poetry in Wolof but composed according to Arabic metrical schemas and stanzas. From the beginning this genre used al-Ḫalīl’s metres, widely employed in Classical Arabic literature: it was therefore necessary for wolofal poets to elaborate a prosodic norm that allowed them to use the Arabic metres with their language’s phonology. Among the phonological particularities of Wolof one finds the syllabic structures CVC and CVCC, the possibility of crasis between different words, and the particular phonological status of prenasalised and geminate consonants. All these peculiarities have certain consequences for the metric and prosodic organisation of the verse, which will be analysed here both through metrical analysis of the texts studied, and by looking at the orthography adopted for the transcription of these po...

Studia Orientalia Electronica

This paper discusses the character of King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Far... more This paper discusses the character of King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using an approach that considers the humoristic dimension of this character. The definition of humorism employed here is that given by Pirandello: the result of an aesthetic process in which the comic effect deriving from an object of laughter is tempered and contrasted by a “sentiment of the contrary” that observes and builds empathy with the inner contradictions of the object itself. After a short outline of Mfalme Juha’s critical history which shows that the humoristic dimension of King Juha has never been considered in critiques, this paper focuses on an analysis of this character, in which the core feature of egocentricity is identified. Juha’s egocentricity and its humoristic nature are analysed in the character’s relationship with his subjects as their king and in his idea of art and culture; in both cases it is shown that what is important is not the wickedness or egoi...

Materialism and secularism in Swahili literature: The case of Topan's Aliyeonja Pepo, 2020

Concepts like materialism and secular thought have formed the basis of literary works of some of ... more Concepts like materialism and secular thought have formed the basis of literary works of some of the most important authors of modern literature, such as Kezilahabi, Hussein, Mulokozi, and Topan. The value of such concepts has not always been admitted by critics: all these authors, in fact, have faced various difficulties related to their works, from open refusal (in Kezilahabi's case) to a reluctant acceptance that neglected their critical points (in Topan's and Hussein's cases). The aim of this paper is to show to what extent secularism, materialism, and laicism are fundamental to these writers by selecting one case study, that of Topan's comedy Aliyeonja Pepo, and exploring its critique of religion, both independently and in comparison with the other aforementioned authors. Recognizing the presence of these concepts, in fact, would allow for a deeper analysis of the internal structures of these texts and mark an advance in their critical studies.

Kervan. International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies, 2020

The origin of the Swahili stanzaic metres Emiliano Minerba In this paper I will propose a prosodi... more The origin of the Swahili stanzaic metres Emiliano Minerba In this paper I will propose a prosodic analysis of three important metres of the Swahili literary tradition, which are utenzi, shairi and wimbo. Despite the great difference between them concerning usage and context of composition, in fact, their metrical and prosodic features show that they have a common historical development. The origin of these three metres is to be found in the Arabic poetic tradition of ḥumaynī poetry, a Yemeni development of the genre of muwaššaḥa, that was developed in the Omayyad Andalusia and then spread all over the Arabic world. Some common features between ḥumaynī poetry and the three aforementioned Swahili metres will be outlined, concerning both the prosody of the verses and rhyme patterns: in conclusion of the analysis, I will claim that utenzi, shairi and wimbo are the result of an hybridization between the forms of ḥumaynī poetry and the local, and probably pre-existent, prosodic tradition of utumbuizo, carried out willingly by the intellectual class of the beginnings of the classical period of Swahili literature.

Studia Orientalia Electronica, 2018

This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using ... more This paper discusses King Juha, the protagonist of the comedy Mfalme Juha by Farouk Topan, using an approach that considers the humoristic dimension of this character. The definition of humorism employed here is that given by Pirandello: the result of an aesthetic process in which the comic effect deriving from an object of laughter is tempered and contrasted by a "sentiment of the contrary" that observes and builds empathy with the inner contradictions of the object itself. After a short outline of Mfalme Juha's critical history, which shows that the humoristic dimension of King Juha has never been considered in critiques, this paper focuses on an analysis of this character, in which the core feature of egocentricity is identified. Juha's egocentricity and its humoristic nature are analysed in the character's relationship with his subjects and in his idea of art and culture; in both cases it is shown that what is important is not the wickedness or egoism of Juha, but his lack of comprehension of the world. Juha is incapable of understanding his environment and other people, since he cannot doubt his own superiority: this puts him in several comic situations but also makes him a victim of his smarter subjects. Thus, he arouses a feeling of sympathy in which Pirandello's sentiment of the contrary can be traced.

Nordic Journal of African Studies, 2018

The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi's horror short story Mayai-Waziri wa Maradhi ("Mayai-Minister... more The analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi's horror short story Mayai-Waziri wa Maradhi ("Mayai-Minister of Disease) can to a great extent shed light on its author's opinions on Tanzanian politics and how he expresses them in his literary work. A large part of the political content of this text cannot be appreciated without considering the element of horror per se, as a feature that is not only stylistic. This paper aims to analyze such work as an example of the horror story genre, employing specific tools of interpretation which can enlighten the way in which the uncanny dimension affects and generates content. Although there are numerous allegories in Kezilahabi's short story, my critique also aims to show how such literary elements can be analyzed and explained by looking at them per se, instead of reading them only as symbols of the external elements they receive their sense from, as it is the case for allegory.

Swahili Forum, 2017

This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach ... more This paper attempts an analysis of Ebrahim Hussein’s drama Mashetani through a critical approach based on the dimension of horror. Despite the pervasive strength of this element in Mashetani, it has rarely been considered as anything more than a mere stylistic element in a vision of this drama which approaches its contents only, using allegory. In this study, Mashetani will be read from a different point of view, which sees the horrific element as bearer of new contents and new subjects not always reachable through an allegorical interpretation, in order not only to make a contribution to literary
criticism of this drama, but also to emphasize how horror can acquire an analytic function besides its stylistic role.