Kujamaat
Jola-Fonyi
Niger-Congo (Atlantic, Bak)
Jola-Fonyi (Kujamaat) is the principal Jola language of the Casamance region of southern Senegal, also spoken in Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, with ~600K speakers. The Jola people are known for their decentralized society (no traditional kings or chiefs), wet-rice cultivation in the mangrove deltas, and the Kankurang masquerade tradition (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage 2008). Atlantic-Congo Bak branch with rich consonant inventory including implosives, ejectives, and labio-velars (kp, gb). Has noun-class system with concord, but unlike Bantu, classes are marked by suffixes. Recognized as one of Senegal's national languages.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Jola-Fonyi
Water
mumel
/mumel/
Fire
sambun
/sambun/
Sun
funak
/funak/
Moon
furu
/furu/
Mother
ino
/ino/
Father
ampa
/ampa/
Eat
e-ri
/eri/
Drink
ka-piti
/kapiti/
Love
bu-yopo
/bujopo/
Heart
pu-ngor
/puŋɡor/
Tree
bu-rok
/burok/
House
e-laaf
/elaːf/
Dog
e-buy
/ebuj/
Cat
e-busa
/ebusa/
Hand
bu-kal
/bukal/
Eye
u-kil
/ukil/
Hello
kasumay
/kasumaj/
Thank you
abara'k
/abaɾaʔk/
One
enor
/enor/
Good
esum
/esum/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Atlantic, Bak) languages
| Meaning | Jola-Fonyi | Old Tagalog | Maranao | Nanai | Tagalog | Hakha Chin | Tangkhul Naga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mumel /mumel/ | ᜆᜓᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /tubiɡ/ | ig /iɡ/ | муэ /mue/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | ti /ti/ | ze /ze/ |
| Fire | sambun /sambun/ | ᜀᜉᜓᜌ᜔ /apuj/ | apoy /apoj/ | това /tova/ | apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ | mei /mei/ | mei /mei/ |
| Sun | funak /funak/ | ᜀᜇᜏ᜔ /araw/ | alongan /aloŋan/ | сиун /siun/ | araw /ˈʔaɾaw/ | ni /ni/ | nyithui /ɲitʰui/ |
| Moon | furu /furu/ | ᜊᜓᜏᜈ᜔ /buwan/ | bolan /bolan/ | биа /bia/ | buwan /buwan/ | thla /tʰla/ | lai /lai/ |
| Mother | ino /ino/ | ᜁᜈ /ina/ | ina /ina/ | энин /enin/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ | nu /nu/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | ampa /ampa/ | ᜀᜋ /ama/ | ama /ama/ | ама /ama/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ | pa /pa/ | apa /apa/ |
| Eat | e-ri /eri/ | ᜃᜁᜈ᜔ /kain/ | mangan /maŋan/ | депу /depu/ | kumain /kumaˈʔin/ | ei /ei/ | ngui /ŋui/ |
| Drink | ka-piti /kapiti/ | ᜁᜈᜓᜋ᜔ /inom/ | minom /minom/ | омичи /omitʃi/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ | din /din/ | rai /rai/ |
| Love | bu-yopo /bujopo/ | ᜁᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /ibiɡ/ | kalimo /kalimo/ | эйини /ejini/ | pag-ibig /paɡʔibiɡ/ | daw /daw/ | cha /tʃa/ |
| Heart | pu-ngor /puŋɡor/ | ᜉᜓᜐᜓ /puso/ | pusoʔ /pusoʔ/ | миаван /miavan/ | puso /puˈsoʔ/ | lung /luŋ/ | mokyaba /mokjaba/ |
| Tree | bu-rok /burok/ | ᜃᜑᜓᜌ᜔ /kahoj/ | kayo /kajo/ | мо /mo/ | puno /puno/ | thingkung /tʰiŋkuŋ/ | leiyik /leijik/ |
| House | e-laaf /elaːf/ | ᜊᜑᜌ᜔ /bahaj/ | walay /walaj/ | дё /dʒo/ | bahay /bahaj/ | inn /in/ | shim /ʃim/ |
| Dog | e-buy /ebuj/ | ᜀᜐᜓ /aso/ | aso /aso/ | инда /inda/ | aso /ˈʔaso/ | ui /ui/ | ui /ui/ |
| Cat | e-busa /ebusa/ | ᜉᜓᜐ /pusa/ | pusa /pusa/ | коси /kosi/ | pusa /pusa/ | minu /minu/ | mibu /mibu/ |
| Hand | bu-kal /bukal/ | ᜃᜋᜌ᜔ /kamaj/ | lima /lima/ | нгала /ŋala/ | kamay /kamaj/ | kut /kut/ | phei /pʰei/ |
| Eye | u-kil /ukil/ | ᜋᜆ /mata/ | mata /mata/ | насал /nasal/ | mata /mata/ | mit /mit/ | mi /mi/ |
| Hello | kasumay /kasumaj/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔ /mabuhaj/ | kapian /kapijan/ | банди-банди /bandi bandi/ | kamusta /kamusta/ | na dam maw /na dam maw/ | hayau /hajau/ |
| Thank you | abara'k /abaɾaʔk/ | ᜐᜎᜋᜆ᜔ /salamat/ | salamat /salamat/ | банихан /banihan/ | salamat /salamat/ | ka lawm /ka lawm/ | ase /ase/ |
| One | enor /enor/ | ᜁᜐ /isa/ | isa /isa/ | эмун /emun/ | isa /ʔiˈsa/ | pakhat /pakʰat/ | kha /kʰa/ |
| Good | esum /esum/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜆᜒ /mabuti/ | mapia /mapija/ | ая /aja/ | mabuti /mabuti/ | tha /tʰa/ | kahei /kahei/ |
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