Cinie Louw: Linguist, missionary and theologian

Abstract

As part of a growing scholarly interest in the history of women in the field of linguistics the life of Cinie Louw (1872–1935), a missionary in Mashonaland, is revisited. The focus is her groundbreaking work in the fields of linguistics, Bible translation and theological interpretation. Her contribution is revisited outside of the normative evaluation of women’s work in the early 20th century and therefore not just as an extension of that of her male counterparts and husband.