Cynthia, with the likes of Ebou Jallow that you associate yourself with, I
do understand your inability to comprehend what Gambians/Africans are
saying. Not all of us are liars and conmen like your friend. Just like in
all other races, there are all types. I will assure you though, that you
could do much better ( men you wine and dine with), in you relationship with
africans, by showing respect in return.

Take care, will you
alaji.



>From: Cynthia Daniels <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Gunjur or Kunjur?
>Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 19:46:34 -0700
>
>"... the African, as the author knows him, is the personification of
>untruth; that is he never tells the truth for truth's sake, even in the
>simple matter of the position of a town or the distance thereto, but,
>like those who are to be beaten with few stripes, he knows not the depth of
>his iniquity from our point of view.
>
>This part is interesting. I sometimes find myself trying to find the true
>meaning of what is being said by Africans.
>
>Cynthia
>
>
>
>Mo Baldeh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Omar,
>
>I endorse your view that most of the errors were committed by the colonial
>writers. Although I also think that some oral traditions are prone to
>hyperbole and exaggerations as we have seen in some of the epics handed
>down to us by griots.
>
>I urge anyone to pick up the sometimes over-priced copy of Henry Fenwick
>Reeve's The Gambia: It's History, Medieval, and Modern or Lady Southorn's
>The Gambia: The Story of the Groundnut Colony, and you would see the type
>of fallacious or racist data that most of these writers documented.
>
>In the absence of reliable interpreters and depending largely on their
>euphonic understanding of native sounds, early colonial writers contributed
>in the distortion of pre-colonial history. Reeve refers to the King of
>Barsally, which, he says is later called Barra or Ba Saloum. In 1765, Lt.
>Gov. Joseph Debat referred to Barra as "Baragh".
>
>Here is what Reeve said about Gambians in particular and Africans in
>general:
>
>"... the African, as the author knows him, is the personification of
>untruth; that is he never tells the truth for truth's sake, even in the
>simple matter of the position of a town or the distance thereto, but, like
>those who are to be beaten with few stripes, he knows not the depth of his
>iniquity from our point of view. He lies because facts are stubborn..."
>
>Sometimes, it borders on the comical. Cadamosta had this description of a
>chaaya or daabaa kuurto, the traditional pants worn by Gambian men:
>
>"... breaches of this cotton which are tied across, and reach to the ankles
>and are otherwise so large as to be from thirty to thirty-five, or even
>forty palmi round the top; when they are girded round the waist they are
>much crumpled and form a sack in front and the hinder part reaches to the
>ground and waggles like a tail - the most comical things to be seen in the
>world. They would come in these wide petticoats with these tails and ask us
>if we had ever seen a more beautiful dress fashion...", (The Gambia: The
>Story of the Groundnut Colony).
>
>In passing though, we have to give credit to European ethnographers and
>linguists, such as Delafosse, Gaden, and Wilson-Haffenden for documenting
>important aspects of pre-colonial societies in Africa.
>
>It was only with the advent of Cheikh Anta Diop that we started seeing
>present day African intellectuals doing what European colonialists had done
>on their behalf: the writing down of Africa's history, only this time it
>came from the Africans themselves. Of course, we cannot forget that as
>early as the fifteenth century Timbuktu had already produced scholars such
>as the eminent Malian historian, Abdourahman es Sa'adi.
>
>According to the Senegalese historian Prof. Moussa Lam, an ardent
>Egyptologist and a student of Cheikh Anta, Kaur was derived from the Fulani
>phrase "...ngarey kauren daande maayo"... "let's meet at the river bank", a
>call made by the nomads taking their cattle to drink.
>
>While some of the data available to us today cannot be scientifically
>verified, it at least serves as a reminder that Africa's past is not only
>filled with stories of naked savages and impenetrable forests.
>
>Momodou.
>
>omar joof wrote:
>Malanding,
>I am positive the erros were committed when the colonialists were getting
>down the names of the villages and towns. Most of the names of the
>settlements are also the names of either their founders or historical
>personalities who had connections with them. However, some of them are
>short
>statements. The founder of Sukuta/Sabije/Dembadou was a man called Amoro
>Cham. He was indeed Fula but the people who eventually left Bakoteh to join
>the new settlement( as a result of some epedemic), were Mandinka .All the
>three names are short Mandinka statements. They go as follows:
>1. Sukuta= New Home;
>2.Sabije( sageyo bejay)= A sheep is there;
>3.Dembadou(chamdembadou)= Place of the chams.
>
>Atleast with Sukuta the names are not badly distorted. We have our bad
>example when Lameng is written as Lamin. We have another bad example where
>Bakoteh is written as Bakoti. We do not know what Bakoti means, but we are
>certain that Bakoteh( Baa ko tay), is the Mandinka for --" clear the other
>side of the river/ cross to the other side of the river". Geographically
>the
>creek is there to give meaning to the name. Furthermore, the history which
>surrounds the founding of the settlement also adds meaning to the name. I
>am
>baffled by the name Lameng. The "LA" at the beginning is very interesting!
>Does it give the name a french or Arab root? Well for the moment I dont
>know. But I am very positive that the mainstream culture of the settlement
>has a vibrant Soninke root, which reveals itself during ceremonies and
>rites. Perhaps someone out there should help us with what "Lameng" stands
>for.
>Omar Joof.
>
> >From: Malanding Jaiteh
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> >
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: Gunjur or Kunjur?
> >Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 11:58:36 -0400
> >
> >Omar and Mbye,
> >This is where history of the Gambia becomes really interesting. That is,
> >things are said one way and written another way, a definite recipe for
> >distortion. As for how places get their name, that is another can of
>worms.
> >My two bututs: Kunjur, Lameng, Sabije (which could pass as Sare Biji -
> >in Fula) are the correct ways. It is up to our scribes to write it as it
> >is.
> >Oops. Did I say Sare Biji? A quick disclaimer here Mbye Sey. No offense
> >to your source although it is important to note that founding fathers of
> >Sabiji were believed to be Fula. How they became the Mandinkas they are
> >is another can of warms.
> >
> >Lets hope that bringing this up will inspire scholarly organizations
> >like the Historical Society of the Gambia (if there is one in existence)
> >to take up this and many others some day.
> >
> >Malanding
> >
> >[log in to unmask] wrote:
> >
> > > Malanding,
> > > In records, Kunjur is given as Gunjur, and Lameng is given as Lamin.
> > > As far
> > > as I know the founders of the two towns call them Kunjur and Lameng
> > > respectively. With regard Sukuta, it is also called
> > > by its founders Sabiji and even Dembadou.
> > > Omar Joof.
> > >
> > >> From: Malanding Jaiteh
> > >> Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> > >>
> > >> To: [log in to unmask]
> > >> Subject: Gunjur or Kunjur?
> > >> Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 12:48:31 -0400
> > >>
> > >> Folks,
> > >> A quick question for all. Is Gunjur or Kunjur? Sukuta or Sabiji?
>Lamin
> > >> or Lameng? I know they are writen one way and pronounced the other.
>So
> > >> what are the real names of these towns?
> > >>
> > >> Malanding Jaiteh
> > >>
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