Editorial

Abstract

This volume features five articles that discuss various interesting and contemporary issues in the areas of culture, literature, language and linguistics.  The first contribution is an elegant discussion on how culture could be a catalyst for national development.  The authors discuss this within the context of Nigeria and draw on resources of Yoruba verbal arts to argue that art forms that are rooted in culture can play a vital role in socio-political development.

The next two papers involve two of Shakespeare's classic plays. The main concern of one is the issue of problematic themes in Shakespeare's timeless play Measure for Measure. The paper argues that these themes, in particular the theme of sexuality, conflict with modern-day living and thinking. The author discusses this with reference to the interpretation of the play in two major productions. The other contribution is an examination of language and power in the play Julius Caesar. Using an eclectic framework of linguistic theories, the paper examines the 'duel-like orations' of two rivals in the play, to demonstrate the power of language and language in power.

The issues that are raised in the fourth and fifth papers concern the Malay language.  The former, a critical analysis of contemporary Malay language and the identity of its speakers, discusses the construction of the Malay identity in Malaysia and the challenges to this construction in the era of globalisation.  The concluding paper, unlike the previous paper, is not concerned with contemporary Malay language.  It is an analytical overview of 17th century Malay based on the entries in a bilingual dictionary of Malay and English by Thomas Bowrey published in 1701. The author examines the linguistic features of the Malay entries in the dictionary to discuss the morphological, structural as well as sociolinguistic aspects of oral Malay 300 years ago.