A fine copy of the first edition, rare, of this Lisbon-printed tri-lingual dictionary of the Mbunda language as spoken in the west African country of Angola, together with translations into Portuguese and Latin. The compiler Fr. Bernardo Maria de Cannecattim, an Italian Capuchin missionary from Palermo, was prefect of the missions to Angola and the Congo. His preface notes the work of the Capuchin order in Angola for more than twenty years, commenting on the necessity of communication in Mbunda for advancing the Roman Catholic faith amongst the Angolan population. He also makes reference to the political and mercantile utility of mastering the language.
The establishment of Portuguese settlements in Angola began in the sixteenth century, driven by the development of the slave trade. Many slaves from Angola were shipped to Brazil to work on plantations. At the time of publication of this dictionary in 1804 the slave trade was still in operation, not being abolished until 1836. It appears that this is the first dictionary of the Mbunda language to have been printed. Cannecattim followed with a Mbunda grammar, Colleccao de observacoes grammaticaes sobre a lingua Bunda, ou Angolense (Lisbon, 1805).
Rare, we locate a handful of copies in Spain, Germany, France, etc., however no copies in the United States.
Innocencio I, 381-298; Zaunmüller 36.
