Languages of African rainforest « pygmy » hunter-gatherers: language shifts without cultural admixture

Communication au colloque international «Historical linguistics and hunter-gatherers populations in global perspective» (Max-Planck Inst., Leipzig, 10-12/8/06)The aim of this paper is first to point out the diversity of the situations, thus resulting from various historical processes. There is not one single type of « Pygmy » group, nor an archetype of relationship between « the » Pygmies and « the » Farmers – there is even not a typical community of farmers ! The history is complex, and much rich. Second, this paper will underline the great gaps in the available documentation