Ewa Wołk-Sore, Ph.D.

Research areas
Modern Amharic in sociolinguistic perspective, written and oral literature in Amharic

Consultations for students: Thursday 12.00-13.00 (please make an appointment in advance via e-mail)

Education

2003 PhD in African Studies (Linguistics): “Conceptualization of the Sphere of Interpersonal Relations in Amharic” at the Department of African Languages and Cultures of the University of Warsaw.

1991 MA in Ethiopian Studies at the University of Warsaw: “Infinitive in Amharic”.

1987/1988 Completed a Modern Ethiopian Literature course given by David Appleyard at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, UK.

1985/1986 Scholarship at the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Employment

2007 – present, Assistant professor at the Department of African Languages and Cultures, Oriental Faculty of the University of Warsaw, Poland.

2006 Engagement at the Encyclopaedia Aethiopica project in Asien-Afrika Institut of Hamburg University, 1-30 Nov 2006, Hamburg, Germany.

2004-2007 Part-time lecturer at the Department of African Languages and Cultures, the University of Warsaw.

2004/2005 Visiting scholar at the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Courses taught

Amharic language I and II, Intermediate Amharic, Advanced Amharic, Amharic text reading, Amharic source texts, Amharic Grammar, Literature in Amharic, Orality and Literacy in Africa, Linguistic Pragmatics.

Theses supervised

2007
• Joanna Radomyska, „Abbay – Blue Nile, from the perspective of Ethiopia and the outside world” (MA, joint supervision with Prof. J. Mantel-Niećko)

2011
Magdalena Szewczyk “Linguistic-cultural view of lion, monkey and hyena in Amharic folktales and proverbs” (MA);
• Agnieszka Turula “Between tradition and modernity – social role of theatre in Ethiopia based on the play „Telfo bekise” by Mengistu Lemma” (MA)

2012
• Katarzyna Kruś “Cultural image of a woman and a man in Amharic proverbs” (BA)
• Jakub Pociejewski “The social role of azmari – traditional Ethiopian singers” (MA)

2013
• Agnieszka Koczorowska “Development aid and its Effectiveness – the Example of Polish Development Aid for Africa” (BA)
• Zofia Ruducha “Ch’at in contemporary culture of Ethiopia” (BA)
• Magdalema Szymann “Ethiopian runners as cultural phenomenon” (BA)
• Mikołaj Szczepkowki “Marian iconography in Ethiopian painting dating from 13th to 16th century” (BA)
• Agata Wartacz “Modernization of the higher education system in Ethiopia in 1990-2012” (BA)

Publications

Books:

2008, Towards the Conceptualization of the Sphere of Interpersonal Relations in Amharic, Warszawa: WUW, 126p.

Articles:

2018, “Krytyka dyktatury Hajle Syllasie I w powieści Trzynaste słońce Daniachewa Worku”, w: W. Chachalis, R. Diaz-Szmidt, M. Krawczuk, M. Szupejko (red.), “Intelektualiści afrykańscy wobec doświadczenia dyktatur” , Oficyna Wydawnicza ASPRA-JR., Warszawa – Poznań 2018, s. 167-178.

“Znaczenie badań terenowych Stefana Strelcyna dla odkrywania kulturowego kontekstu etiopskiej oratury”, Afryka, 48/2018, s. 49-60.

2017 “Etiopscy czarownicy i ich magiczne modlitwy w tekstach polskiego uczonego Stefana Strelcyna” (Ethiopian Magicians and their Prayers in Writings of the Polish Scholar Stefan Strelcyn), [in:] Czarownice: Studia z kulturowej historii fenomenu, Katowice: Sacrum, 137-144.

2016, “Among Manuscripts and Men of Ethiopia. Stefan Strelcyn’s quest for African Studies”, [in:] N. Pawlak, H. Rubinkowska- Anioł, I. Will (red.), African Studies: Forging new Perspectives and Directions, Warszawa: Elipsa, 82-106.

2015 “Etiopia pomiędzy mową a pismem. Spór nie tylko intelektualny pomiędzy cesarzem i pisarzem o koncepcje państwa” (Ethiopia between Speech and Script. Dispute not only Intellectual between the Emperor and the Writer about the State Concept) jointly with H. Rubinkowska-Anioł, Afryka 41, 31-51.

2015 “Etiopia pomiędzy oralnością a piśmiennością” (Ethiopia between Orality and Literacy), Quaestiones Oralitatis, 1, 2015, 130- 146.

2014 „Narodziny i rozwój współczesnej literatury etiopskiej” (The Birth and Development of Contemporary Ethiopian Literature), Literatura na Świecie 7/8, 312-336.

2014, „Etiopski intelektualista i jego dzieło – pomiędzy oraturą a literaturą“ (Ethiopian Intellectual and his Work – Between Orature and Literature) jointly with H. Rubinkowska-Anioł, in: I. Kraska-Szlenk, B. Wójtowicz (eds.) Current research in African studies: papers in honour of Mwalimu Dr. Eugeniusz Rzewuski, Warszawa: Dom Wydawniczy Elipsa, p. 331-346.

2010, „Werbalne i pozawerbalne sposoby wyrażania empatii w języku amharskim” (Verbal and non-verbal ways of expressing empathy in Amharic) w: E. Rzewuski (red.) Języki, kultury i społeczeństwa Afryki w procesie przemian, Warszawa: WUW, p. 75-82.

2009, „Positive and Negative Emotions Encoded in Amharic Forms of Address“, in: N. Pawlak (red.) Codes and Rituals of Emotions in Asian and African Cultures, Warszawa: Elipsa, p. 128-137.

2008 „Sylabiczne pismo języków semickich Etiopii” (The syllabic writing system of the Semitic languages of Ethiopia), in: N. Pawlak (ed.) Języki Azji i Afryki w komunikacji międzykulturowej, Warszawa: WUW, p. 125-141.

— , Texts, in: R. Rojek (ed.) Etiopia na 21 dni lub na cale życie, Sopot: Gdańskie Wydawnictwa Psychologiczne: „Wstęp“ pp. 13-14, „Jezioro Tana“ pp. 22-23, „Bahyr Dar i okolice“ pp. 28-29, „Etiopskie krzyże“ pp. 78-79, „Debre Dammo“ pp. 118-119, „Dolina rzeki Omo“ pp. 138-139, „Debre Libanos“ p. 324-325.

2007/2008 “Początki i rozwój amharskojęzycznej literatury w Etiopii” (The beginnings and the development of Amharic literature in Ethiopia), in: Afryka, 26, p. 54-73.

2007, „Szacunek i serdeczność w Etiopii” (Respect and affection in Ethiopia), in: M. Marcjanik (ed.) Grzeczność na krańcach świata, Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Akademickie i Profesjonalne, p. 287-302.

— , „Amharic Forms of Address. Part I: Terms Used in Nuclear Family”, in: SDALC 41, p. 147-159.

2006, „The Main Concepts Structuring the Sphere of Personal Relations in Verbal Communication in Amharic”, in: L. Łykowska, W. Witakowski (eds) Welette Yohanna. Ethiopian Studies in Honour of Joanna Mantel-Niećko. Rocznik Orientalistyczny, vol. LIX, 1, p. 297-305.

— , “Change in Use of Certain Forms of Address in Amharic”, in: Proceedings of the 15tth International Conference of the Ethiopian Studies, Hamburg, p. 235-240.

2005, “Grzeczność w Etiopii”, in: M. Marcjanik (ed.), Grzeczność nasza i obca,Warszawa: Trio, p. 251-262.

2004, “Formy adresatywne języka amharskiego w procesie przemian kulturowych” (The forms of address in Amharic in the process of cultural transformations), in: N. Pawlak, Z. Podobińska (eds), Języki Afryki a kultura, Agade, Warszawa, p. 43-62.

— , “Formant słowotwórczy -ta jako morfem kontaktu w języku amharskim” (Morphem -ta as a morphem of contact in Amharic), in: N. Pawlak, Z. Podobińska (eds), Języki Afryki a kultura, Warszawa: Agade, p. 149-157.

2001, “Language Policy in Ethiopia in the 20th Century”, SDALC 29, p. 53-65.

Reviews and varia:

2017, Fikre Gebrekidan Reda, Tigrinia – English/Amharic Codeswitching, Köln Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, 2015., recenzja w Studies of the Department of African Languages and Cultures, 51, 2017, s. 135-138.

2014, Nina Pawlak, Ewa Siwierska, Izabela Will (eds.), Hausa and Chadic Studies in Honour of Professor Stanisław Piłaszewicz, Warsaw: Dom Wydawniczy Elipsa, 2014, 271 p., review in: Studies of the Department of African Languages and Cultures (SDALC) 48, p. 133-137.

2010, „Stanisław Chojnacki”, in: Biuletyn PTAfr. Afryka 31-32, p. 14-23.

— ‚ “Takla Sadek Makwriya”, entry in: Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. IV, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 842-3.

— ‚ “Waugh, E.”, entry in: Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. IV, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 1158-9.

2009, Mermier F., Morin D., Rouaud A., Eros en mer Rouge. Pount. Cahier d’études. Corne de l’Afrique – Arabie du Sud. 2, Bièvres: Les Éthiopisants Associés, 2008, 163p., review in: SDALC, 43, p. 131-133.

2008, „Język amharski“, in: K. Górak Sosnowska, I. Morżoł (eds) Języki świata. Materiały dydaktyczne do zajęć międzykulturowych, Stowarzyszenie „Arabia.pl“, 53-60.

2007, „Kefla Giyorgis“, jointly with D. Nosnitsin, entry in: EAE III, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 370-371.

2005, “Yohanan Kassa, Mist’irawiw nigus K’.H.S. (This Misterious King: H.S.I), review in: Afryka, 21, Warszawa, p. 79-84.

— ‚ “Dasta Takla Wald”, entry in: Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. II, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 107.

— , C. Griefenow-Mewis, Tamene Bitima (eds), Oromo Oral Poetry. Seen from within, (Wortkunst und Dokumentartexte in afrikanischen Sprachen, Band 20), Köln, Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, 2004, review in: SDALC, 37, p. 124-127.

2004, “Fik’remark’os Desta, Kebuska bestejerba. (On the Other Side of Buska)”, review in: Afryka 19, Warszawa, p. 65-70.

— ‚ “Erytrea. Etiopia”, in: Nazewnictwo geograficzne świata: Afryka, 3, Główny Urząd Geodezji i Kartografii, Warszawa, p. 60-68.

2000, “D. Appleyard, Colloquial Amharic. A Complete Language Course, 1995, London, Routledge”, review in: PO, 3-4, p. 279-282

1996, “Harold G. Marcus, ‘Dlaczego nigdy nie ukazał się etiopski przekład Cesarza Ryszarda Kapuścińskiego’” (Why did the Ethiopian version of „The Emperor” by R. Kapuściński never appear), Afryka, 4, p. 68-69.

Translations:

2010, Milas-inna joro-wochch (Tongue and ears)), in: N. Pawlak (ed.) Języki afrykańskie, Warszawa: Wydawnictwa UW, p. 314-315.

2007/2008 Fik’ir iske mek’abir (Love until Grave) by Haddis Alemayyehu – fragment in: Afryka 26, p. 69-71.

2004, Kebuska bestejerba. (On the Other Side of Buska) by Fik’remark’os Desta – fragment in: Afryka 19, Warszawa, p. 68-69.

1996, “Harold Marcus, Uprzedzenie i ignorancja w recenzowaniu książek o Afryce: dziwny przypadek ‘Cesarza’ Ryszarda Kapuścińskiego”, Afryka, 4, p. 69-76.

Projects and grants:

2018 –Participation in Natural Language Processing Project run by BITEXT in Spain as an Amharic morphology expert

2007-2008 International project financed by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN) “Symbolika języka emocji w kulturach Azji i Afryki” Symbolic representations of emotions in Asian and African cultures.

2003-2006 Project financed by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN): “Organizacja gospodarczo-społeczna i polityczna państwa etiopskiego w czasach nowożytnych” (Socio-economical and political organization of the Ethiopian state in modern times).

2002-2003 Project financed by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN): “Analiza form adresu jako odzwierciedlenie przekształceń socjolingwistycznych w Etiopii na przestrzeni XX wieku” (The analysis of the forms of address as a reflection of sociopolitical transformations in the 20th cent. Ethiopia).

Conferences organized and attended:

2018 20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (Co-organization of a panel Ethiopian Studies in Poland), Mekele.

2017 Konferencja “Intelektualiści afrykańscy wobec doświadczenia dyktatur”. Paper presented: “Krytyka dyktatury cesarza Haile Syllasje I w Trzynastym słońcu Daniachewa Worku”.

2015 Co-organization of the 19th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Warsaw, Diversity and Interconnections through Space and Time, Warszawa, 24-28 sierpnia. Paper presented: „Tapes recorded by Stefan Strelcyn during his expedition to Ethiopia in 1957/1958”

2014 Conference Jak utrwalają się słowa skrzydlate. Ulotność tradycji wobec medium pisma, October 23-24, University of Wroclaw. Paper presented: “Ethiopia between orality and literacy”.

2012 18th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Oslo, 2-6 July. Paper presented: A hundred ways of expressing positive and negative emotions in Amharic.

2011 International Conference, Body in Language, October 21 – 22, University of Warsaw. Paper presented: “The heart as a source of metaphorical expressions in Amharic”.

2011 Co-organization of the International Conference, Horn of Africa: script –identity – development, November 30, University of Warsaw. Paper presented jointly with Khadra Ilmi „Somalis – the nation of poets”.

2010 International Colloquium, Etudes éthiopiennes, l’ensiegnement de l’amharique en Europe, INALCO, Paris, January 7-8. Paper presented: “Teaching Amharic in Poland – different approaches”.

2009 17th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa, November 1-5. Paper presented: “Verbal and Non-verbal Ways of Expressing Empathy in Amharic”.

2008 International Seminar, Codes and Rituals of Emotions in Asian and African Cultures, University of Warsaw, November 14. Paper presented: “Positive and Negative Emotions Encoded in Amharic Forms of Address”.

2007 16th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies in Trondheim, July 2-6. Paper presented: “A Hundred Ways of Expressing Positive and Negative Emotions in Amharic”.

2006 Co-organization of the International Workshop: European Schools of Ethiopian Studies: Poland and Germany housed jointly by University of Warsaw and WSH in Pułtusk. Paper presented: “Amharic Forms of Address. Part I: Terms Used in the Nuclear Family”.

2003 15th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies in Hamburg, July 21–25. Paper presented: “Change in Use of Certain Forms of Address in Amharic”.