Malcolm Guthrie (1903-1972), professor of Bantu languages, is known primarily for his classification of Bantu languages (Guthrie 1971). The classification, although certainly not undisputed, is still the most widely used.

The magnum opus of Guthrie is Comparative Bantu which appeared in 4 volumes published in 1967 (volume 1), 1970 (volumes 3 and 4), and 1971 (volume 2). The 4 volumes provide not only a genetic classification but also a reconstruction of Proto-Bantu as the Proto-language of the Bantu language family.

Guthrie also published extensively on a wide range of Bantu languages, including Lingala, Bemba, Mfinu , and Teke .

References

• Guthrie, Malcolm (1948) The classification of the Bantu languages. London: Oxford University Press for the International African Institute.
• Guthrie, Malcolm (1971) Comparative Bantu vol 2. London: Gregg Press.