37.3296, All: Obituary for Professor Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose (1932–2026)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-3296. Tue Oct 13 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.3296, All: Obituary for Professor Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose (1932–2026)

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Date: 13-Oct-2026
From: Gerald Nweya [go.nweya at ui.edu]
Subject: Obituary for Professor Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose (1932–2026)


Professor Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose has been a major contributor to the
study, development, and promotion of African linguistics and Nigerian
languages. Amongst other works, he published in 1966 A Grammar of
Yoruba, the first such grammar based on modern linguistic theory, and
authored highly influential texts on language policy, including
Language and the Nation (1991) and Language and Exclusion (2000).
Professor Bamgbose played a pivotal role in the development of
Linguistics and Indigenous languages as academic disciplines in
Nigeria and West Africa, pioneering the university-level teaching of
Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa, and developing technical vocabulary to allow
African languages to be taught in the languages themselves. He was
deeply engaged in language development efforts and language policy on
the African continent, consulting for bodies such as ACALAN, UNESCO,
and the Ford Foundation. He served in numerous leadership roles,
including as the first African President of the West African
Linguistic Society and on the Executive Committee of CIPL.

Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
                     Morphology
                     Syntax




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