>>510258643 (OP)1. Pre-colonial African languages were contextual, not abstract
Most African languages before colonization:
Were oral, not written
Were context-rich, with meanings shaped by social use rather than fixed definitions
Often lacked standalone abstract nouns like “maintenance” or “progress” — but they absolutely expressed the ideas behind them
So while you might not find a precolonial Bantu word that literally maps to “maintenance,” you would hear verbs, phrases, and proverbs that express:
Taking care of tools (e.g. sharpening blades)
Keeping a homestead clean
Sustaining relationships
Honoring traditions (which itself is a form of cultural “maintenance”)
These were acts, not abstract nouns.
2. Lack of a word ≠ lack of the concept
Just because no single word existed doesn’t mean the idea wasn’t there. For example:
Concept Pre-colonial Expression
Tool maintenance “Sharpen the hoe before the sun rises” (proverb)
House upkeep Specific verbs like “to patch the thatch,” “to sweep the compound”
Relationship maintenance Rituals, kinship duties, oral rules
People clearly understood the importance of ongoing care — but they didn't always create a generalized abstract term like "maintenance" to describe all those different types.
3. Colonialism introduced abstraction & formal categorization
European colonial influence brought:
Bureaucracy
Infrastructure systems (roads, railways, offices)
Technical maintenance of machinery
Written contracts and codified rules
And with that came the need to invent or borrow words like:
"maintenance"
"administration"
"development"
"system"
4. Example — Swahili (pre- vs post-colonial)
Pre-colonial Swahili: more focused on action-oriented expressions, like kutunza (to care for) or kurekebisha (to fix)
Post-colonial Swahili: adopts "matengenezo" as the noun for “maintenance,” often used in tech or infrastructure contexts
Same story for Yoruba, Zulu, Hausa, and many others.
