GB 0102 MS 193280 - Abraham, Roy Clive

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0102 MS 193280

Title

Abraham, Roy Clive

Date(s)

  • Created 1921-1959 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

5 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Abraham , Roy Clive , 1890-1963 , linguist

Biographical history

Roy Clive Abraham was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1890, but was educated in England and Germany. His first degree was in oriental languages (Arabic and Persian) though he also studied Ethiopic at that time. During World War I, he served in the British Army in Arabia, where he learned Hindustani, and then became a member of the Nigerian Administrative Service from 1924-1944, the last six years of which he spent in language research. His first independent research was on Bolenci, and later he assisted George Bargery on the publication of a Hausa dictionary. He was a lecturer in Amharic at the School of Oriental and African Studies, 1948-1951.

His published works include The Grammar of Tiv, The Principles of Hausa, The Principles of Idoma, The Principles of Somali and a Dictionary of Modern Yoruba. He also worked on Igbo, but his death in 1963 precluded the publication of his grammar and dictionary in that language.

Archival history

GB 0102 MS 193280 Created 1921-1959 Collection (fonds) 5 boxes Abraham , Roy Clive , 1890-1963 , linguist
Roy Clive Abraham was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1890, but was educated in England and Germany. His first degree was in oriental languages (Arabic and Persian) though he also studied Ethiopic at that time. During World War I, he served in the British Army in Arabia, where he learned Hindustani, and then became a member of the Nigerian Administrative Service from 1924-1944, the last six years of which he spent in language research. His first independent research was on Bolenci, and later he assisted George Bargery on the publication of a Hausa dictionary. He was a lecturer in Amharic at the School of Oriental and African Studies, 1948-1951.

His published works include The Grammar of Tiv, The Principles of Hausa, The Principles of Idoma, The Principles of Somali and a Dictionary of Modern Yoruba. He also worked on Igbo, but his death in 1963 precluded the publication of his grammar and dictionary in that language.

Purchased in 1966.

Papers, 1921-1959, of Roy Clive Abraham, comprising personal manuscript notebooks of grammar and vocabulary notes on the various African, Middle Eastern and European languages studied by him.

The collection is arranged in four sections: African languages; Middle Eastern languages; European languages; and miscellaneous items. Languages within the first three sections are classified alphabetically.

Unrestricted.

No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.
African languages including Amharic, Berber (Tuareg), Bolenci, Fulani, Galla, Igbo, Kabyle, Tiv and Yoruba; Middle Eastern languages including Arabic and Hebrew; European languages including Dutch, French, German and Russian.

Unpublished handlist.

The School of Oriental and African Studies holds other papers on African languages, including those of George Percival Bargery (Ref: MS 380516) and Frederick William Parsons (Ref: PP MS 50).

15 May 2000 Abraham , Roy Clive , 1890-1963 , linguist Academic teaching personnel Africa African languages Amharic Arabic Berber Dutch Educational personnel Europe French German Germanic languages Grammar Hamitic languages Hebrew Indo-european languages Languages Lexicography Linguistics Middle East Phonetics Romance languages Russian Semitic languages Slavic languages Somali Teachers Vocabularies Yoruba Personnel People by occupation People

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Purchased in 1966.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers, 1921-1959, of Roy Clive Abraham, comprising personal manuscript notebooks of grammar and vocabulary notes on the various African, Middle Eastern and European languages studied by him.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection is arranged in four sections: African languages; Middle Eastern languages; European languages; and miscellaneous items. Languages within the first three sections are classified alphabetically.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Unrestricted.

Conditions governing reproduction

No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

African languages including Amharic, Berber (Tuareg), Bolenci, Fulani, Galla, Igbo, Kabyle, Tiv and Yoruba; Middle Eastern languages including Arabic and Hebrew; European languages including Dutch, French, German and Russian.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The School of Oriental and African Studies holds other papers on African languages, including those of George Percival Bargery (Ref: MS 380516) and Frederick William Parsons (Ref: PP MS 50).

Finding aids

Unpublished handlist.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

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Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

School of Oriental and African Studies

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area