Conrad Max Benedict Brann (born July 20, 1925 in
Rostock
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, died June 23, 2014) was a German-British
linguist
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
and professor at
University of Maiduguri
The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) is a Federal higher institution located in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State in northeast Nigeria. The university was created by the federal government of Nigeria in 1975, with the intention of its ...
in
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. Brann opened a personal library in his living area that influenced the lives of language/linguistics students and English students.
Career
Brann's early life was spent in Germany and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
.
Brann studied Linguistics and International Relations in Hamburg, Rome, Oxford, Paris and Bruges. He taught English Language at the University of Hamburg and was from 1958 to 1965 in the administration of
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. Brann lived in Nigeria from 1966.
He is the founder and was from 1977 head of the Department of Languages and Linguistics at the University of Maiduguri.
His main work has been definition and explanation of language use in a
multilingual or bilingual societies, with focus on Nigeria.
Honors
* 1990:
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
* 1999: Festschrift in Honour of Conrad Max Benedict Brann, University of Maiduguri
* 2004:
Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, Nigeria
Literature
* William Charles McCormack, Stephen Adolphe Wurm (ed.): Language and society: anthropological issues. - Mouton, 1979
* Brann, C.M.B., "Lingua Minor, Franca & Nationalis". In: Ammon, Ulrich (ed.). ''Status and Function of Languages and Language Varieties''. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1989, pp. 372–385
* Brann, C.M.B., "Reflexions sur la langue franque (lingua franca): Origine et Actualité", ''La Linguistique'', 30/1, 1994, pp. 149–159
* Brann, C.M.B., "The National Language Question: Concepts and Terminology." ''Logos''
niversity of Namibia, WindhoekVol 14, 1994, pp. 125–134
References
External links
"Conrad Max Benedict Brann," Rüdiger Köppe Verlag (bio from ''The Nation'' (Nigeria), 13 March 2010)
Linguists from the United Kingdom
Linguists from Germany
2014 deaths
1925 births
University of Maiduguri faculty
Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
German expatriates in Italy
German expatriates in the United Kingdom
German expatriates in France
German expatriates in Belgium
German expatriates in Nigeria
{{academic-stub