This talk explores the relation of wutum xam-xam (the quest for knowledge) and the practice of writing Wolof. Wolof is the contemporary lingua franca of Senegal, which is officially a Francophone country. The presentation introduces and discusses instances of the use of Wolof as a language of scholarship, within the Western university and in Islamic scholarship. It introduces scholars who have chosen to write in Wolof, and considers the significance of their decision within their respective contexts. Through this talk, I aim to demonstrate that writing in Wolof is a conscious choice that impacts both the readership and the conceptualisation of knowledge. By including sources from Islamic scholarship, I adopt a more holistic approach, extending the focus beyond the dominance of the French language and asking broader questions about language choices, hegemonies, and policies. The talk will address three questions: „Who is writing Wolof?“, „Why are they writing Wolof?“, „What are the epistemic implications of writing Wolof?“, which align with my current research on philosophizing in African languages.
Monika Christine Rohmer is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Advanced Studies —Philosophizing in a Globalized World (GloPhi) at Hildesheim University, Germany. Within the project, she focuses on philosophising in African languages. Monika Rohmer is a transdisciplinary scholar combining intercultural philosophy, applied linguistics, the study of verbal arts, and postcolonial theories. She pursued her PhD in the framework of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS), where she compared conceptualisations and metaphors of water at the Senegalese Coast with a focus on French and Wolof.
Chair: Rémi Tchokothe
Tuesday, 9th December 2025, 5:15 pm
Department of African Studies - Seminar room 1
University Campus, court 5.1., Spitalgasse 2, 1090 Vienna
afrika@univie.ac.at, afrika.univie.ac.at
