Diola

The Diola people inhabit the Casamance region of Senegal, and also southwestern Gambia, where their name is spelt Jola. Their language is Diola or Jola, not to be confused with the Dioula or Dyola spoken in Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire. Diola society is segmented and very flexible, so several dialects have developed which may not be mutually intelligible between groups even though the area inhabited by the Diola is relatively small.

Hello/Welcome. - kah-sou-mai-kep
Greetings. (reply) - kah-sou-mai-kep
Goodbye. - ou-kah-to-rrah

Borrowed from Lonely Planet’s The Gambia & Senegal; 3rd Edition.

10 More Random Wolof Words

Courtesy of Firicat.com.

1. jula, , trader, peddler of foods, to trade
2. teret, n , trading season
3. daaj, , to nail (see pontu)
4. digal, , to advise, caution, instruct
5. jaaj, , large mound of cous in field
6. garaw, , danger
7. faas, , beard
8. mbóótaay, n , to be last
9. raakaaju, adj. , to get mad , be crazy
10. gaanga, , wishing for s/o to go away

See original list.

Religious Terms 2

Words & phrases with religious significance starting with the letter B.

Many of these terms may actually be Arabic or Wolofized Arabic. Many Wolof speakers practice Islam which uses the Arabic language.

baakaar, bakaar - sin, evil
baawaan - religious ceremony to pray for rain
Baay Faal - a type of Mourit (Mouride) follower, characterized by long hair (dreadlocks), etc.
baraka - blessing
baraka Alla, barak’Allah fik - with God’s blessing, may the blessings of Allah be upon you (used to thank someone)
barke - blessing
barkeel - to benefit from a blessing
bataaaxal, bataxel - letter, circular letter (generally prophesying the future)
bayere - a charm for happiness; to be popular
biddaa - belief, superstition
billaay, billaxi - by God
bisimilaay, bisimilayi, bisimilaahi - in the name of God
bismillah ar rahman ar rahim - in Allah’s name most gracious most merciful
bootal - man in charge of newly circumcised boys
boroom daara - head of a religious school
bu soobee Yalla - if it pleases God

See Religious Terms 1.

Sample Dialog

Adopted from 101 Languages of the World. Please mouse over each word for a direct translation.

---

Mme Jóob: Naka suba ngi? Dégg nga Angale?
Good morning. Do you speak English?

M. Mbaye: Jéggël ma, déggu ma Angale.
I’m sorry, I do not speak English.

Mme Jóob: Lu ko yaq, tuuti Wolof rekk la dégg.
Unfortunately, I speak only a little Wolof.

M. Mbaye: Baax na. Xam naa li nga wax. Sa lammiñ setna lool.
That’s alright. I understand you. You speak very well.

Mme Jóob: Jëre-jëf.
Thank you.

M. Mbaye: Yendul ak jamm!
Have a nice day!

---

A note on the usage of ‘Mme’ and ‘M.’, Mme is the French abbreviation for Madame the English equivalent being Mrs., it is not followed by a period. M., is the French abbreviation for Monsieur the English equivalent being Mr., it is always followed by a period. Although I did not do it here last names usually have every letter capitalized when in print in Senegal. Although Mme/Madame and M./Monsieur is very common in Senegal you may want to use the Wolof equivalents which are Soxna si and Góor gi respectively.

10 Random Wolof Words

Courtesy of Firicat.com.

1. lef, n , thing
2. naju, adj. , be compressed
3. téng, , tight
4. baatale, verb , to leave a message with someone for somebody
5. set, , clean
6. goox, v , to hold liquid ones mouth
7. delēne, , cluster of stars
8. folé, , elastic
9. loolu, dem adj. , that thing (over there)
10. Angalteer, n , England

Travel Vocabulary IV

See Travel Vocabulary III

——————————————————-

Here are a few things that you may come across if traveling to Senegal or the Gambia.

bazin - dyed fabrics that are beaten to a shine with wooden clubs

campement - could be loosely translated as 'hostel', 'inn' or 'lodge', or even 'motel'; it is not a camping ground (Senegal)

djembe - short, goat hide-covered drum

fromager - kapok tree; also known as silk-cotton tree (Senegal)

gasoil - diesel fuel

Inch' Allah - God willing, ie hopefully (Arabic, but used by Muslims in Africa)

marabout - Muslim holy man

paillote - shelter with thatched roof and walls; usually on the beach or around an open-air bar-restaurant (Senegal)

sai-sai - Wolof term for a womanizer; also used for youngsters smooth-talking women, usually with sexual but sometimes criminal intentions

telecentre - privately owned telephone bureau (Gambia)

Thanks to Lonely Planet’s The Gambia & Senegal; 3rd Edition.

Religious Terms

Words & phrases with religious significance starting with the letter A.

Many of these terms may actually be Arabic or Wolofized Arabic. Many Wolof speakers practice Islam which uses the Arabic language.

ajaratu - title given to a woman who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
aji Makka - to go to Mecca
aj gi - the pilgrimage
Aji - title given to a woman who has made the pilgrimage
ajjana, aljana, arjana - heaven, paradise
allaaji, alxaaji - title of a man who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
allaaxira - the next world
alla-akubaar, allahu-akbar - God is great
alxamdulillaa - praise be to God
alxuraan - the Koran
amiin - amen
astafurlaa - may God forgive, God help us. (an exclamation of astonishment)
atte Yalla la - it is the judgement of God, it is fate

Travel Vocabulary III

See Travel Vocabulary II

-------------------------------------------------------

Here are a few things that you may come across if traveling to Senegal or the Gambia.

auberge - hostel or small hotel

balafon - wooden xylophone typically played by griots

calèche - horse-drawn cart used to carry goods and people, particularly in the rural regions of Senegal

dibiterie - grilled-meat stall

fête - festival (Senegal)

gargotte - basic eating house or stall (Senegal)

IMF - International Monetary Fund

kora - 21-string harp-lute

maison de passage - very basic place to sleep, often near bus stations; with a bed or mat on the floor and little else, and nearly always doubling as a brothel; also called chambres de passage

Ndiaga Ndiaye - white Mercedes bus, used as public transport; also called alham (Senegal)

pagne - length of cloth worn around the waist as a skirt (Senegal)

quartier - area

sabar - tall, thin, hourglass drum

taxi-brousse - bush taxi (Senegal)

village artisanal - craft market (Senegal)

zouk - style of music, originally from Guadeloupe, that mixes African and Latin-American rhythms

Thanks to Lonely Planet's The Gambia & Senegal; 3rd Edition.

Weather or not

The weather is … today.
Dafa … teiy.

• cold sehda
• cool sehda
• hot tarnga

It’s going to rain.
Dafa werra tarw.

It’s …
Mungeh …

• raining tarw
• drizzling wiswesal
• thundering dainu
• cloudy heene

Weights & Measures

Gambian dialect…

foot - foot

gallon - gallon

gram - gram

kilogram - kilo

kilometer - kilo

liter - leebahre

meter - meter

mile - mile

ounce - ounce

pound - pound

yard - yard

hmmm…not much different than standard English, eh?

English > Français > Olaf

baby > bébé > néné
cow > vache > nag
east > est > penku
god > dieu > yaala
milk > lait > mééw
pain > douleur > miitē
truth > vérité > duuga
soap > savon > saabo

Culture Notes - Greetings

Extended greetings are an important part of social interaction and many doors will open for you if you are capable of exchanging simple greeting phrases in the local language. Even a few words make a big difference.

Most areas are Islamic, and upon entering someone’s home, announce your arrival with a confident ‘Salaam aleikum’ (peace be with you), and your presence will be acknowledged with ‘Aleikum salaam’ (and peace be with you).

This is followed by inquiries about your health, the health of your family, the state of your affairs and those of your children. You’re never expected to give an honest answer at this point. In Gambia things are always fine; in Senegal the response is always ‘Ça va’. Never mind the real troubles that might be plaguing you - these can be mentioned later in the conversation.

Although it’s not necessary for foreigners to go through the whole routine, it’s important to use greetings whenever possible. Even if you’re just changing money, negotiating a taxi fee or asking directions, precede your request with a simple. ‘Hello, how are you? Can you help me please?’, rather than plunging right in.

Borrowed from; The Gambia & Senegal, Lonely Planet, 3rd Edition, 2006

Wolof mots de vocabulaire

Wolof vocabulary words

bennen, benen - another
bennen u xarit am - another of his friends

doonte - if it were
doonte man … - if it were me …

garab g (garap) - tree; medicine
ci kow garab gi - up the tree

jappa - to seize, catch ; to suit
jappa biir - to become pregnant

lu - whatever
lu dul - unless

munga, munge, mungi - he is …
munga fa - he is over there (remote)

ñeppa - all
ñun ñeppa xam nañu - we all know them

raxas - to wash (clothes, utensils, etc.)
mu raxas leket bi be mu set - she washed the calabash until it was clean

suma - my
suma xaalis ak sa xaalis - my money and your money

tollo - to measure height
tollo ak … - to be the same size as …

waññi - to lower a price, reduce
waññi ko waay - please lower it

yobbu - to carry, to take away
soo demee, yobbaale ma - when you go, take me with you

In case of emergency…

Help! - Wóoy! (wohy)

Call an ambulance! - Wooyal ma ambilaans bi! (woh-yal ma am-bi-laans bee)
Call a doctor! - Wooyal ma doktoor! (woh-yal ma dok-tohr)
Call the police! - Wooyal ma alkaati! (woh-yal ma al-kaa-tee)

Travel Vocabulary II

See Travel Vocabulary I

-------------------------------------------------------

Here are a few things that you may come across if traveling to Senegal or the Gambia.

alham - white Mercedes bus, also called N'Diaga N'Diaye in Dakar

beignet - simple deep-fried donut (Senegal)

calesh - horse-drawn taxi usually seating about three people behind the driver

demi-pension - half board (dinner, bed and breakfast) (Senegal)

essence - petrol (gas) for car (Senegal)

fanals - large lanterns; also the processions during which the lanterns are carried through the streets

gare routière - bus and bush-taxi station, (also called autogare and gare voiture) (Senegal)

hôtel de ville - town hall (Senegal)

in sha' Allah - God willing, ie, hopefully (Arabic, but used by Muslims in Africa)

lumo - weekly market, usually in border areas

mairie - town hall; mayor's office (Senegal)

paletuviers - mangroves (Senegal)

quatre-quatre - four-wheel-drive car (4WD or 4x4)

riz yollof - vegetables and/or meat cooked in a sauce of oil and tomatoes

Senegambia - the region of Senegal and Gambia

tampon hygiénique - tampon (also tampon periodique and serviette hygiénique) (Senegal)

yassa poulet - grilled chicken marinated in an onion-and-lemon sauce (Senegal)

Thanks to Lonely Planet's The Gambia & Senegal; 2nd Edition.

Basic French Numbers

BASIC FRENCH NUMBERS
Nombres francais de base

un	un	1
deux	der	2
trois	trwa	3
quatre	ka-trer	4
cinq	sungk	5
six	sees	6
sept	set	7
huit	weet	8
neuf	nerf	9
dix	dees	10

I have noticed when listening to Wolof speaking people they tend to use French numbers (or sometimes even English) rather than Wolof numbers.

Some Essential Wolof Phrases

“Expressions Ouolof Essentielles”

Na nga def. - Hello. (singular)
Na ngeen def. - Hello everybody. (plural)
Jaam nga fanane. - Good morning.
Jamm nga yendoo. - Good afternoon.
Fanaanal jaam. - Goodnight.
Ba beneen. - Goodbye.
Su la nexee. - Please.
Jai-rruh-jef. - Thank you.
Agsil. - You’re welcome. (singular)
Agsileen ak jaam. - You’re all welcome. (plural)
Baal ma. - Sorry./Pardon.
Wau. - Yes.
Deh-det. - No.
Jaam nga am? - Have you peace? (How are you?)
Jaam rek. - Peace only. (I’m fine.)
Yow nag? - And you?
Naka-nga sant? - What’s your first name?
Maa ngi tudd … . - My name is … .
Fan nga dahk? - Where do you live?
Fan nga joghe? - Where are you from? (singular)
Fan ngeen joghe? - Where are you all from? (plural)
Maa ngi joghe les USA. - I’m from the USA.
Deg nga Angale? - Do you speak English?
Deg nga Faranse? - Do you speak French?
Angale rekk laa degg. - I speak only English.
Degg naa tuuti Faranse. - I speak a little French.
Mahn deggumah Wolof. - I don’t speak Wolof.
Mahn deggumah Faranse. - I don’t speak French.
Degguma. - I don’t understand.
Dama bahggoon … . - I’d like … .
Fahn la … ? - Where is … ?
Soreh na? - Is it far?
Cha kanam. - Straight ahead.
Chammoon. - Left.
Ndeyjoor. - right.
Dugghal waay! - Get in!
Lii naata? - How much is this?
Seer na torob. - It’s too much.
May ma jaam! - Leave me alone!

Arabic/Islamic Phrases

Assalamu alaykum. - Peace be upon you.
Wa alaikumus salam. - And peace be upon you. (reply to above)
Allahu akbar. - Allah is greater. (takbir)
Al hamdu lilah wa shukru lillah. - Praise belongs to Allah and all thanks to Allah.
Bismillah ar rahman ar rahim. - In Allah’s name, most gracious, most merciful.
Insh’Allah. - If Allah wills. (referring to a future action)
Mash’Allah. - What Allah wishes. (indicates good omen)

Days of the Week / Bési Ayubés Bi

Wolof names for the days of the week are mostly adopted from Arabic.

As usual you can mouse over for the French translations as well.

Monday - Alteneh / Altinay / Altine [al-ti-ney]
Tuesday - Talarta / Talata / Talaata [ta-laa-ta]
Wednesday - Arlahrba / Alarba / Àllarba [al-lar-ba]
Thursday - Alheames / Alxamess / Alxames [al-kha-mes]
Friday - Arjuma / Ajuma / Àjjuma [aj-ju-ma]
Saturday - Gaaw / Gaawo / Gaawu [gaa-woo]
Sunday - Dibéér / Dibeer / Dibéer [dee-beyr]

Saturday may also be known as Aséér. (found this trans. in a Gambian source)

New Opposites List

New List Thanks To Tubaab bu jigeen
See The Original List & Comments Here “Opposites Attract”

beginning - ending (verb): door/tammbali - jeex/mujj

cheap - expensive: yomb - jafe

easy - difficult: jomb - jafe

friend - enemy: xarit - noon

happy - unhappy: beg - tiis

inside - outside: ci biir - ci biti

enter - get out: duggu - genn

left - right: cammoň - ndeyjoor

near - far: jege - sori

open - close (verb): ubbi - téjj

peace - war: jamm - xare

Random Vocab

These were taken from the Gambian Wolof - English Dictionary By David P. Gamble.

banxa - water lily
caxa - necklace
daay - bush fire, forest fire
kaala - turban
pat - a sore throat
pukkus - storage place, a retreat
raaf - to be destroyed, cease to exist
seey - to dissolve
tanna - to choose
waramba - gown

Notes on Orthography

What’s orthography? It is basically a spelling system. Answers.com defines it as:

1. The art or study of correct spelling according to established usage.
2. The aspect of language study concerned with letters and their sequences in words.
3. A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling.

There are groups such as the IPA (International Phonetic Association) and CLAD (Center of Applied Linguistics of Dakar) that have developed Latin based spelling systems for historically non-written languages such as Wolof. The IPA uses a system with the same acronym as their association called the International Phonetic Alphabet. And although I have repeatedly stated that there is no universal standardized system for the spelling of Wolof words, the system devised by CLAD is probably the most widely used (or at least very close variations of it) and in my opinion the easiest to follow. Below are some examples of the same Wolof word for ‘thank you’ using different orthographies:

jërëjëf (Standardized CLAD spelling)

djeredieuf (Common Francophone spelling)

jayraijayf (Used by Nyima Kantorek in her dictionary)

I have also seen it spelled; jai-rruh-jef, jere-jeff & je-re-jef among a variety of other renditions.

There is also a writing system that was developed for Wolof using the Arabic alphabet. This system is called Wolofal.

Opposites Attract

beginning - end dohre - jehh/rach
cheap - expensive yormba - sehre
easy - difficult yormba - nahary
friend - enemy harit - mbargne
happy - unhappy contarn - mehr
in - out duga - gayna
left - right charmorgne - ndeyjohre
near - far jeague - sory
open - close oube - tayche
peace - war jarma - hareh
question - answer larch - torntu
safety - danger moitu - haiy
tall - short gouda - garta
up - down kow - shoofe
wide - narrow yartu - hertt

All In the Family

family - njabort

grandfather - marm-bu-gore
grandmother - marm-bu-gegain

father - papa
mother - yarboie

husband - jaycahre
wife - jabahre
son - dorm-bu-gore
daughter - dorm-bu-gegain

older brother - maq-bu-gore
younger brother - raca-bu-gore

older sister - maq-bu-gegain
younger sister - raca-bu-gegain

You got the time?

What time is it? Ban waxtoo jot?
Et maintenant en français; Quelle heure est-il?

Do you have a watch? Am nga montar?
Et en français; Avez-vous une montre?

Yes, I have a watch. Waaw am naa montar.
Et maintenant en français; Oui, j’ai une montre.

No, I don’t have a watch. Amuma montar.
Et en français; Non, je n’ai pas de montre.

Some Mandinka

The Mandinka language, sometimes referred to as Mandingo, is a Mandé language spoken by millions of Mandinka people in Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea-Bissau; it is the main language of The Gambia. It belongs to the Manding branch of Mandé, and is thus fairly similar to Bambara and Maninka or Malinké. It is a tonal language with two tones: low and high.

baadaa - beach

daa - price

kambaanoo - boy

londoo - education

mansaaloo - proverb

hidiki - hiccup

saatee - village

taabuloo - table

Try this fun Mandinka Word Search.

A Couple Slang Words…

Sai Sai -

“That little crafty one.” (Euphemism given to AIDS in the poor suburbs of Dakar, Senegal.) Also means bad person, “playa”, pimp, crooked business person, etc. Used for men & women. Can be like an insult or badge of pride.

Bin Bins -

A string of beads worn on an elastic string. Senegalese girls typically wear them just beneath the top of their pants or skirts, or sometimes just above. It is considered flirtatious, or even slightly erotic to show one’s bin-bins, particularly to a guy. And if a guy gives a girl a set of bin-bins, it’s pretty clear what that means!

Pronunciation Tips

Note that these are just general tips and that these rules may not always apply as writers of Wolof sometimes use different spelling systems.

CONSONANTS:

j is pronounced as in jazz but with the tongue a bit nearer the top front teeth

c is pronounced as in church with the tongue a little nearer the top front teeth

ñ is pronounced as in the middle sound in canyon with the tongue tip just behind the front teeth

q is pronounced as a k pulled back into the throat

x is pronounced as in loch in Scottish English or bach in German, with the tongue pulled back in the throat

VOWELS:

a is pronounced as the u in butter not as in cat

à is pronounced as the ‘a’ sound in British English life

e is pronounced as in bed

é is pronounced like the French é, almost like the i in big

ë is pronounced as in Brithish English bird

i is pronounced as in beat

o is pronounced as in hot

ó is pronounced as in the French beau, it does not exist in English

u is pronounced a bit like book but with the lips more rounded

Understand This!

Do you understand? Dégg nga? (deg nguh)
and now en français; Comprenez-vous?

I understand. Dégg naa. (deg naa)
and en français; Je comprends.

I don’t understand. Dégguma. (deg-goo-ma)
en français; Je ne comprends pas.

Wolof Vocab

facatalu v. stumble

sehy v. melt

wenne n. breast

holl n. heart

targue n. obituary

fuca n. ten

marb n. braid

njail n. dawn

hoolow v. quarrel

armooth v. lack

Thanks to the Wolof Dictionary & Phrasebook by Nyima Kantorek.

Morning? Afternoon?? Or maybe Evening???

Below is a table showing how the various portions of the day are labeled in Wolof.

ENGLISH WORD	WOLOF WORD	WHEN USED
day	bëcëg	dawn to nightfall
night	guddi	nightfall to dawn
morning	suba	dawn to about 2pm
afternoon	ngoon	from about 2pm to nightfall
midnight	xaaju guddi *	at midnight

* Literally, “half of the night” (xaaju - to divide, seperate, part, portion).

Ci suba. - In the morning.

Ci ngoon. - In the afternoon.

Ci guddi. - In the evening.

Mouth Anatomy

GEMMIN BI - THE MOUTH

Some of these expressions are not common in Wolof and may not always be readily understood by some Wolof speakers. Many of these (I believe?) were developed by medical professionals as a way to better communicate more precisely with non-Francophone Wolof speakers.

(mouse over for the french)

gémmiñ gi - mouth
làmmiñ wi - tongue
laa gi - tongue tied
làmmiñ wu ndaw wi - uvula (thing that hangs in back of throat)
denqaleñ bi - palate
tuñ mi - lips
tuñu kaw wi - top lip
tuñu suuf wi - bottom lip
ciiñ mi - gums
bëñ bi - tooth
bëñu reewu bi - incisor teeth
bëñu sell wi - canine teeth
bëñu déegéej bi - molar teeth
bëñu màgg dey - wisdom teeth
sofe - to have mouth ulcers
wuum/uum - toothache
cafko gi - sense of taste

…and now for some Pulaar.

We have covered some French & Arabic (tuuti rekk) which are of course common in much of the parts that Wolof is spoken but another common native language is Pulaar which is spoken by the Peul peoples. Although most Peuls in Wolof speaking areas will understand Wolof it is always nice to be able to say at least a few things to someone in their mother tongue. So here are a few “essential” phrases that you may want to practice…

No ngoolu daa. Hello.

Nalleen e jamm. Goodbye.

Njaafodaa. Please.

A jaaraamah. Thank you.

Enen ndendidum. You’re welcome.

Achanam hakke. Pardon.

Yaafo. Sorry.

Eey. Yes.

Alaa. No.

Ko Engale tan kaala mi. I speak only English.

Mi nani Faranse seeda. I speak a little French.

No mbiyeteedaa? What’s your name?

Ko … mbiyetee mi. My name is … .

Ko les USA njeyaa mi. I’m from USA.

Yes. No! Maybe?

Yes - Waaw (wow)
and now en français; Oui (wee)

No - Déedéet (dey-deyt)
and en français; Non (non)

Maybe - Xejna (khedj-nuh)
en français; Peut-être (per-tay-trer)

Wolof Numbers & Counting

Wolof numbers are basically counted in groups of five. The numbers one through five (and ten) are the main numbers in the Wolof numeric system, all other numbers up to one-hundred are based on these numbers.

Wolof numbers are combined together to form new numbers. For example the
number twelve in Wolof is fukk ak ñaar (10 & 2), which when added together equals
twelve. With the exception of six through nine and all numbers divisible by ten, except for ten, up to one-hundred, such as twenty, thirty, forty, etc. all Wolof number combinations include the Wolof word ak which means ‘and’ or ‘with’.

When a larger number precedes a smaller number the numbers are added. For example the number sixteen in Wolof is fukk ak juróom benn (10 & 6 or 10 & 5 &1) which when added together equals sixteen. All numbers up to nineteen are in this order.

When a smaller number precedes a larger number then the numbers are multiplied. For
example the number forty in Wolof is ñeent fukk (4 & 10) which when multiplied equals forty. All numbers above twenty are in this order.

Wolof number combinations above twenty (except for 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 & 90) call for both addition and multiplication. For example the number thirty-two in Wolof is ñett fukk
ak ñaar (3 & 10 & 2), if written as a mathematical equation it would be 3 x 10 + 2 = 32.

Below is a table of Wolof numbers. Not all numbers are listed. We only included
the basic numbers and also tried to give examples of every kind of number combination. Click HERE for a complete list of Wolof numbers up to 100 along with their mathematical equations.

ENG. SYM.	ENG. WORD	WOLOF WORD
0	zero	tus *
1	one	benn
2	two	ñaar
3	three	ñett
4	four	ñeent
5	five	juróom
6	six	juróom benn
7	seven	juróom ñaar
8	eight	juróom ñett
9	nine	juróom ñeent
10	ten	fukk
11	eleven	fukk ak benn
12	twelve	fukk ak ñaar
13	thirteen	fukk ak ñett
14	fourteen	fukk ak ñeent
15	fifteen	fukk ak juróom
16	sixteen	fukk ak juróom benn
17	seventeen	fukk ak juróom ñaar
18	eighteen	fukk ak juróom ñett
19	nineteen	fukk ak juróom ñeent
20	twenty	ñaar fukk
21	twenty one	ñaar fukk ak benn
22	twenty two	ñaar fukk ak ñaar
23	twenty three	ñaar fukk ak ñett
24	twenty four	ñaar fukk ak ñeent
25	twenty five	ñaar fukk ak juróom
26	twenty six	ñaar fukk ak juróom benn
27	twenty seven	ñaar fukk ak juróom ñaar
28	twenty eight	ñaar fukk ak juróom ñett
29	twenty nine	ñaar fukk ak juróom ñeent
30	thirty	ñett fukk **
40	forty	ñeent fukk
50	fifty	juróom fukk
60	sixty	juróom benn fukk
61	sixty one	juróom benn fukk ak benn
62	sixty two	juróom benn fukk ak ñaar
63	sixty three	juróom benn fukk ak ñett
64	sixty four	juróom benn fukk ak ñeent
65	sixty five	juróom benn fukk ak juróom
66	sixty six	juróom benn fukk ak juróom benn
67	sixty seven	juróom benn fukk ak juróom ñaar
68	sixty eight	juróom benn fukk ak juróom ñett
69	sixty nine	juróom benn fukk ak juróom ñeent
70	seventy	juróom ñaar fukk
80	eighty	juróom ñett fukk
90	ninety	juróom ñeent fukk
100	one hundred	teemeer
1000	one thousand	junni
1,000,000	one million	fukki teemeeri junni

* The number zero (0) in Wolof can either be called tus or dara.

** The number thirty (30) in Wolof can either be called ñett fukk or fanweer.

Travel Vocabulary

Here are a few things that you may come across if traveling to Senegal or the Gambia.

afra - grilled meat, or grilled meat stall (Gambia)

benechin - rice baked in a thick sauce of fish and vegetables (Gambia)

cadeau - gift, tip, bribe or a hand-out (Senegal)

dash - bribe (noun); also used as a verb ‘You dash me something …’ (Gambia)

Ecowas - Economic Community of West African States

factory - fortified slaving station

garage - bus and bush-taxi station (Gambia)

harmattan - the light winds from the north which carry tiny particles of sand from the desert, causing skies to become hazy from December to February

IMF - International Monetary Fund

latcheri - pounded millet

mafé - thick brown groundnut sauce

ndeup - ceremonies where people with a mental illness are treated and healed (Senegal)

occasion - lift (noun), or place in a car or bus (often shortened to occas) (Senegal)

palava - meeting place

Quran - Islamic holy book (also called Koran)

Ramsar - an international convention primarily concerned with the conservation of wetland habitats and associated wildlife

salon du thé - tea shop (Senegal)

tampon - stamp (eg, in passport) (Senegal)

ventilé - room with a fan (Senegal)

Thanks to Lonely Planet’s The Gambia & Senegal; 2nd Edition.

Basic Personal Pronouns

ENGLISH	WOLOF
SINGULAR	SINGULAR
I, me	maan, ma
my, mine	suma
you	yow
your, yours	seen
he, she, it	ñoom
him, her, it	ñoom
his, hers, its	ñoom
PLURAL	PLURAL
we, us	ñun
our, ours	sunu
they, them	ñoom
their, theirs	ñoom

Please, Thank You, You’re Welcome!

Please - Su la neexee (soo luh ney-khey)
and now en français; S’il vous plaît (seel voo pley)

Thank you - Jërejëf (je-re-jef)
and en français; Merci (mair-see)

You’re welcome - Amul sóló (ah-mool so-loe)
en français; Je vous en prie (zher voo zom pree)

Grrrreetings!

Proper greetings in the Wolof culture are very important. Often times one will spend several minutes with greetings and pleasantries before getting down to the purpose of their visit. Sometimes the whole visit will just be greetings. Even on Senegalese call-in radio shows the callers and hosts will exchange many greetings before getting on with the caller's question or comment.

We have put here the four most common greetings you are most likely to encounter on a daily basis when visiting Wolof countries. We have included both Arabic and French as well as Wolof.

GREETING	RESPONSE	WHEN USED
salaam alaikum	malaikum salaam	greeting a group of people or entering one's house
nanga def	maangi fi	greeting an individual
ça va	ça va	greeting an individual in passing
ba beneen	ba beneen	upon leaving an individual

Let's start with pronunciation...

Since Wolof was not formally a written language there is no universal system for the spelling of Wolof words which often makes it difficult for the begining student to distinguish between similar sounding words when reading Wolof as opposed to actually being able to hear it.

There are also different dialects of Wolof such as Gambian & Senegalese, rural & urban and even traditional & modern. Although the differences are generally slight it can still be somewhat confusing for non-native speakers trying to learn the language.

The distinction between short and long vowels is very important, because it is sometimes the only way to distinguish pairs of words which have different meanings. Long vowels are generally doubled, while short vowels are not.

(Tip: Mouse over the Wolof words and see the definition, also mousing over some of the English words will give the Wolof equivalent.)

VOWELS

VOWEL	NEAREST ENGLISH EQUIVALENT	WOLOF EXAMPLES
a	absorb	banta, tapa, santa
aa	far	laaj, naaj, caabi
e	get	dem, lem, gerte
ee	where	seet, leel
é	say	bés
éé	sane	wéér, réér
ë	bird	kër, dëgër
i	in, pit	nit, simiis, timis
ii	meet	siis, lii, kii
o	moment	xob, romba
ó	awe	nób, sóf
oo	door	loo, soo
óó	phone	góór, fóót
u	cook	nuyu, ubi
uu	moon	tuuru, yuuxu

CONSONANTS

CONSONANT	NEAREST ENGLISH EQUIVALENT	WOLOF EXAMPLES
b	boy	bunta, ban
c	church	caabi, ceeb
d	dog	def, dara
f	fire	fas, fetel
g	good	dogal, duga
j	job	jambar, jox
k	cool	kaala, kumpa
l	land	loolu, laal
m	moon	meew, dem
n	not	nit, nax
ñ	onion	ñeebe, gaañu
p	park	pare, soopa
r	rat	raxas, réér
s	sign	siis, safara
t	stamp	tubaab, aate
w	war	waaw, rew
x	(see note) *	xale, xaalis
y	your	yaay, yuuxu

* There is no English equivalent for this sound, it is a slightly guttural sound that is between x and k. It may also be pronounced merely as h, especially among non-natives.

PRENASALIZED CONSONANTS

CONSONANT	WOLOF EXAMPLES
mb	mbéy, mbam
nd	ndey, ndigga
nj, ng	ngor
mp	lampa

From time to time you may come across a Wolof word that uses an unsual letter that looks like this:

ŋ

This is called 'velar nasal'. It is another prenasalized consonant that sounds similar to the ng sound in the English word 'sing'. This is not to be confused with the consonant 'ng' in the table above which has a 'j' sound.

For more on Wolof pronunciation please click HERE .

Just what the heck is Wolof anyway?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania, and it is the native language of the ethnic group of the Wolof people. Like the neighboring language Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo language family. Unlike many other African languages, Wolof is not a tonal language.

Wolof is the most widely spoken language in Senegal, spoken not only by members of the Wolof ethnic group (approximately 40 percent of the population) but also by most other Senegalese. Wolof dialects may vary between countries (Senegal and the Gambia) and the rural and urban areas. "Dakar-Wolof", for instance, is an urban mixture of Wolof, French, Arabic, and even a little English spoken in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

"Wolof" is the standard spelling, and is a term that may also refer to the Wolof ethnic group or to things originating from Wolof culture or tradition. As an aid to pronunciation, some older French publications use the spelling "Ouolof"; for the same reason, some English publications adopt the spelling "Wollof", predominantly referring to Gambian Wolof. Prior to the 20th Century, the forms "Volof", and "Olof" were used.

Compared to other African languages, Wolof has had a relatively large influence on Western European languages; banana is a Wolof word in English, and the English word yam is believed to be derived from Wolof/Fula nyami, "to eat food."

Janga Wolof

http://JangaWolof.wordpress.com