A Grammar of Xhosa for the Xhosa‑Speaking by W. G. Bennie, Lovedale Press 1939 | Vintage Hardcover

A foundational grammar workbook written in 1939 by William Govan Bennie, A Grammar of Xhosa for the XhosaSpeaking offers a structured introduction to isiXhosa grammar as taught during the Lovedale missionary school era. This concise yet authoritative volume covers essential elements like noun classes, sentence construction, orthography, syntax, and pronunciation.

Publication Details:

• Author: W.G. Bennie, B.A. (William Govan Bennie) 

• Publisher / Year: Lovedale Press, Lovedale, South Africa, 1939 

• Format: Hardcover, original binding (green cloth)

• Length:  169 pages, includes diagrams and an index, about 19cm tall

• Language: English explanations of isiXhosa grammar

📚 Highlights & Historical Significance

• Classic missionary-era grammar system, used in Lovedale mission schools during the vocabulary standardisation of isiXhosa 

• 169 pages provide explanations of noun classes, orthographic rules, sentence structure, and morereflecting linguistic teaching methods of the 1930s 

• Early use of "New Orthography" rules, predating subsequent publications by Bennie on the topic such as Notes on the New Xhosa Orthography 

🌟 Great For

• Collectors of African language heritage or vintage Lovedale Press publications

• Linguists and educators researching the evolution of Xhosa grammar teaching

• Language historians and museums of Southern African print culture

• Xhosa-language students or institutions interested in historical grammar frameworks

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