Jan Knappert
Encyclopedia
Dr. Jan Knappert was a well-known expert on the Swahili language
. He was also an Esperantist
, and he wrote an Esperanto
-Swahili dictionary
.
Knappert translated many literary and historical works from Swahili; including Utendi wa Tambuka
("The Epic of Heraklios"), a very early Swahili epic poem. He also translated the Finnish
national epic
, The Kalevala
, into Swahili.
Knappert taught in Leuven
and London, as well as several African universities. He also participated in several Esperanto conventions in the 1970s, such as TEJO
.
He fathered seven children and was grandfather to eight.
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
. He was also an Esperantist
Esperantist
An Esperantist is a person who speaks or uses Esperanto. Etymologically, an Esperantist is someone who hopes...
, and he wrote an Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
-Swahili dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
.
Knappert translated many literary and historical works from Swahili; including Utendi wa Tambuka
Utendi wa Tambuka
Utend̠i wa Tambuka or Utenzi wa Tambuka , also known as Kyuo kya Hereḳali , is an epic poem in the Swahili language dated 1728...
("The Epic of Heraklios"), a very early Swahili epic poem. He also translated the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
national epic
National epic
A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation; not necessarily a nation-state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with aspirations to independence or autonomy...
, The Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
, into Swahili.
Knappert taught in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
and London, as well as several African universities. He also participated in several Esperanto conventions in the 1970s, such as TEJO
TEJO
TEJO is the Tutmonda Esperantista Junulara Organizo, or World Esperanto Youth Organization. TEJO was founded in 1938 under the name Tutmonda Junular-Organizo . The current name was taken in 1952. In 1956, TEJO became the youth section of the World Esperanto Association...
.
He fathered seven children and was grandfather to eight.
Partial bibliography
- Knappert, Jan (1958) Het Epos Van Heraklios. (Dutch edition and literal translation; dissertation at Leiden University)
- Knappert, Jan (1969) 'The Utenzi wa Katirifu or Ghazwa ya Sesebani', Afrika und Übersee, Band LII, 3-4, 81-104.
- Knappert, Jan (1977) het Epos van Heraklios. Uit het Swahili vertaald in het oorspronkelijke metrum. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff. (Dutch translation in the original meterMeter (poetry)In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
). - Knappert, Jan (1977) Myths and Legends of Indonesia. Singapore: Heinemann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd.
- Knappert, Jan (1989) The A-Z of African Proverbs London: Karnak House.
- Knappert, Jan (1990) African Mythology. London: The Aquarian Press.
- Knappert, Jan (1991) Indian Mythology; an Encyclopedia of Myth and Legend. London: Harper Collins.
- Knappert, Jan (2001) The Book of African Fables. New York: Edwin Mellen PressEdwin Mellen PressThe Edwin Mellen Press, based in Lewiston, New York is a niche publisher of scholarly material and advanced research in the humanities and social sciences. They publish a variety of tomes including monographs, bibliographies, concordances, dictionaries, conference proceedings, dissertations, and...
. - Knappert, Jan (2003)The A-Z of African Love Songs. London: Karnak House.
- Knappert, Jan (2005) Swahili Culture Book I and II New York: Edwin Mellen PressEdwin Mellen PressThe Edwin Mellen Press, based in Lewiston, New York is a niche publisher of scholarly material and advanced research in the humanities and social sciences. They publish a variety of tomes including monographs, bibliographies, concordances, dictionaries, conference proceedings, dissertations, and...
.