Description
This study of the Mende, the largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone, goes back in time to uncover Mende origins, and ends at the beginning of the Colonial period. Drawing from early documentary, oral, anthropological, linguistic and other evidence, the work argues that Mende originated in all probability as a lingua franca sometime in the late 16th century and spread fairly quickly. State formation began in the 17th century, gathering momentum in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Three case studies form the focus of the rest of the book.
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