author
Henri Carbou
1882–1973
A French colonial administrator and ethnographer, he is best remembered for closely observed studies of central Africa and for practical work on local languages. His books on the Chad and Ouadaï region helped preserve detailed historical, linguistic, and cultural records from the early 20th century.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Perpignan on February 10, 1882, Henri Carbou went on to serve in the French colonial administration. Records from the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques place him in a series of posts in West Africa, including Oualata, Koulouba, Koutiala, Timbuktu, and later Ziguinchor.
Carbou is known above all for his writing on the Chad and Ouadaï region. Library and catalog sources describe him as a French colonial official and ethnographer whose work brought together field observation, historical material, and language study, especially in books such as La région du Tchad et du Ouadaï and a practical method for studying spoken Arabic in Ouadaï and eastern Chad.
He died in 1973. Today, his work remains of interest to readers looking for early ethnographic and linguistic accounts of the peoples and languages of the Lake Chad region.