LLACAN

LLACAN _ logo

Founded in 1994, the Langage, Langues et Cultures d'Afrique (LLACAN, UMR 8135) laboratory is a joint research unit under the supervision of CNRS, Inalco, and since 2021 the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE). Its main mission is the documentation and scientific study of the structure, evolution and use of African languages, as well as the establishment of genealogical links between them.

The LLACAN's main mission is the documentation and scientific study of the structure, evolution and use of African languages, as well as the establishment of genealogical links between them. We are also dedicated to the promotion of African languages, notably through the creation and provision of online corpora and the development of lexicographical applications for smartphones (Android). A final strand of research at LLACAN focuses on the analysis of language practices, notably oral and written literatures produced in local languages.

Our research is mainly based on first-hand data collected within speaker communities and in close collaboration with them. The results of our research contribute to the theoretical development of the language sciences, to a better understanding of the history and prehistory of the African continent, and to the revaluation of the cultural heritage of a large number of communities that have become minorities. As a matter of principle, LLACAN is open to all theoretical approaches, but in practice we especially attract researchers whose theoretical orientation is inspired by advances in linguistic typology, i.e. models that take into account the diversity of languages.

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