Language and translation as tools for the archiving and preservation of Indigenous knowledge

the case of Lesotho

Abstract

Translation, along with interpreting and prostitution, is said to be one of the oldest professions in the world. While language was used as a tool for knowledge acquisition, translation, on the other hand, was used to facilitate trade and knowledge sharing among nations. In sub-Saharan Africa, there is little historico-cultural documentation in African languages, as early documentation was done by the missionaries and the first European settlers in European languages – English, French, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish. In Lesotho, a plethora of historico-cultural writings were done by missionaries, most of which have not been translated into Sesotho for ease of access by the common man, who may not be proficient in English and French, but are able to read and write in Sesotho. The present paper discusses problems related to language and the insufficiency of Sesotho records, archives and special collections, as many of the early records remain untranslated in the archives. It advocates for translation as a tool for documentation and archiving of indigenous knowledge and its transmission to future generations. The paper further argues for language as one of the primary tools through which socio-cultural information can be archived.