In this paper, we provide an overview of the history and sociolinguistic setting of Germans and German in Namibia, which serves as a backdrop for our discussion of two grammatical innovations in Namibian German. German has been actively used in Namibia since the 1880s, having been brought to the country through colonization, and it remains linguistically vital today. Via a questionnaire study, we investigate the expanded use of two grammatical innovations in Namibian German, namely, i) linking elements and ii) gehen as a future auxiliary. We explore various factors that could have contributed to the emergence of these innovations in order to better understand the dynamics of German in multilingual Namibia.*

Ipampiri lhe inyatshella buhlogwa be kuhlaganela musebeti gekuphidza tiyato le tifikelwe yhitikhulumi lhetiyati-mukhulumo emusebetini whekutleketa mukhulumo whesiPhuthi lheku sivusuluta. Ekubeni kusjiyekiye te tikhulumi letitigidi letimbalwa temukhulumo, siPhuthi sikegotini lesabekako yhekucimela; futshi mukhulumo lho lhetikhulumi tawo tiya swayiwa kabhe tiya khetshullwa emayemweni hhemaphasi hhakeLesotho lakeSouth Africa. Titleketi letitshatfhu talhe ipampiri, sikhulumi sesiPhuthi (L1) lhetiyati-mukhulumo letibini takeMusjiya, isali bahlaganele lho musebetii kudlula minyaka lemunyuka ledluliye. Ebayemedi bemukhulumo labachaphatelekako lhetiyati-mukhulumo banka ematiphedvulello laphabhene kusebetana lhetidzaba letigesihlokweni kulho musebeti, kutjho kutshi, kutinswa emadla kwebaPhuthi lhekuvusulutwa kwemukhulumo whesiPhuthi.

Teaching is the main or even only way to pass on ancestral languages when intergenerational language transmission no longer takes place. The main reason for the interruption of natural language transmission is an increasing weakening of community bonds due to intermarriage, migration, and mobility. The formal or informal teaching of ancestral languages is therefore at the core of language revival and language revitalization movements. The article reviews favorable conditions and supportive factors for the teaching of ancestral languages from different parts of the world, and highlights the important role of dedicated community members in these endeavors.

Background: Studies examining trends in elderly suicide rates over time reported a decline, an increase and no change. A cross-national study was undertaken to examine the current status of trends over time in elderly suicide rates because previous cross-national studies were well over a decade old.

Methods: Trends in suicide rates for males and females in the age-bands 65–74 years and 75+ years over a 10-year period were examined using data from the World Health Organization website for all the listed countries.

Results: The main findings were: (1) elderly suicide rates either declined or remained unchanged over the 10-year period in most countries; and, (2) suicide rates in both sexes in both the age-bands, over the 10-year period, declined in several European countries, and remained unchanged in several Central and South American countries, Eastern European countries and countries of the former Soviet Union.

Conclusions: Potential explanations for regional and cross-national variations in trends over time in elderly suicide rates include cross-national differences in trends over time in the prevalence of mental illness in the elderly, socioeconomic factors, cultural factors, the availability of appropriate healthcare services, and public health initiatives to improve the detection and treatment of mental illness, mental health and suicide prevention.

Background: Socioeconomic status may influence cross-national variations in elderly suicide rates.

Methods: The relationship between suicide rates in both sexes in the age-bands 65–74 years and 75+ years and (i) life expectancy, (ii) measures of socioeconomic status (per capita gross national domestic product (GDP) and the Gini coeffcient), and (iii) measures of the quality and quantity of available healthcare services (the proportion of GDP spent on health, per capita expenditure on health and child mortality rates) was examined using data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

Results: The main findings were: (i) a significant negative correlation between the Gini coefficient and suicide rates for both sexes in both age-bands; (ii) a significant positive correlation between per capita expenditure on health and suicide rates for both sexes in both age-bands; (iii) the significant positive correlation between the proportion of GDP spent on health and suicide rates was only evident in males in both age-bands; (iv) a significant negative correlation between child mortality rates and suicide rates for both sexes in both age-bands; and, (v) the significant positive correlation between life expectancy and suicide rates was evident in females in both age-bands.

Conclusions: A potentially testable model with five sequential stages was proposed to explain these findings.