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
31 core words in Jola-Fonyi
Water
mumel
/mumel/
Fire
sambun
/sambun/
Sun
funak
/funak/
Moon
furu
/furu/
Star
sili
/sili/
Mother
ino
/ino/
Father
ampa
/ampa/
I
iñje
/iɲɟe/
You
au
/au/
Name
eriñ
/eriɲ/
Eye
u-kil
/ukil/
Hand
bu-kal
/bukal/
Heart
pu-ngor
/puŋɡor/
Love
bu-yopo
/bujopo/
Tree
bu-rok
/burok/
House
e-laaf
/elaːf/
Dog
e-buy
/ebuj/
Cat
e-busa
/ebusa/
Eat
e-ri
/eri/
Drink
ka-piti
/kapiti/
One
enor
/enor/
Two
sikaba
/sikaba/
Hello
kasumay
/kasumaj/
Thank you
abara'k
/abaɾaʔk/
Good
esum
/esum/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Atlantic, Bak) languages
| Meaning | Jola-Fonyi | Old Tagalog | Ateso | Tangkhul Naga | Thao | Galibi Carib | Hakha Chin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mumel /mumel/ | ᜆᜓᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /tubiɡ/ | akipi /akipi/ | ze /ze/ | nanum /nanum/ | tuna /tuna/ | ti /ti/ |
| Fire | sambun /sambun/ | ᜀᜉᜓᜌ᜔ /apuj/ | akim /akim/ | mei /mei/ | apuy /apuj/ | wàto /wahto/ | mei /mei/ |
| Sun | funak /funak/ | ᜀᜇᜏ᜔ /araw/ | akolong /akoloŋ/ | nyithui /ɲitʰui/ | fitulha /fituʎa/ | weju /weju/ | ni /ni/ |
| Moon | furu /furu/ | ᜊᜓᜏᜈ᜔ /buwan/ | elap /elap/ | lai /lai/ | furaz /fuɾað/ | nuno /nuno/ | thla /tʰla/ |
| Star | sili /sili/ | ᜊᜒᜆᜓᜁᜈ᜔ /bituʔin/ | akoloit /akoloit/ | sira /siraː/ | fitu'ish /fituʔiʃ/ | siriko /siɾiko/ | arfi /ʔarfi/ |
| Mother | ino /ino/ | ᜁᜈ /ina/ | toto /toto/ | ina /ina/ | ina /ina/ | sano /sano/ | nu /nu/ |
| Father | ampa /ampa/ | ᜀᜋ /ama/ | papa /papa/ | apa /apa/ | ama /ama/ | papa /papa/ | pa /pa/ |
| I | iñje /iɲɟe/ | ᜀᜃᜓ /ako/ | eong /eɔŋ/ | i /i/ | yaku /jaku/ | au /au/ | kei /kei/ |
| You | au /au/ | ᜁᜃᜏ᜔ /ikaw/ | ijo /idʒo/ | na /na/ | ihu /ʔihu/ | amoro /amoɾo/ | nang /naŋ/ |
| Name | eriñ /eriɲ/ | ᜅᜎᜈ᜔ /ŋalan/ | ekiror /ekiror/ | amin /amin/ | tanan /tanan/ | eeti /eːti/ | min /min/ |
| Eye | u-kil /ukil/ | ᜋᜆ /mata/ | akongu /akoŋɡu/ | mi /mi/ | maca /maθa/ | enu /enu/ | mit /mit/ |
| Hand | bu-kal /bukal/ | ᜃᜋᜌ᜔ /kamaj/ | akan /akan/ | phei /pʰei/ | lima /lima/ | aina /aina/ | kut /kut/ |
| Heart | pu-ngor /puŋɡor/ | ᜉᜓᜐᜓ /puso/ | etau /etau/ | mokyaba /mokjaba/ | putul /putul/ | emanga /emaŋɡa/ | lung /luŋ/ |
| Love | bu-yopo /bujopo/ | ᜁᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /ibiɡ/ | akimina /akimina/ | cha /tʃa/ | suka /suka/ | kataneko /kataneko/ | daw /daw/ |
| Tree | bu-rok /burok/ | ᜃᜑᜓᜌ᜔ /kahoj/ | ekitoi /ekitoi/ | leiyik /leijik/ | lhalum /ʎalum/ | wewe /wewe/ | thingkung /tʰiŋkuŋ/ |
| House | e-laaf /elaːf/ | ᜊᜑᜌ᜔ /bahaj/ | ekal /ekal/ | shim /ʃim/ | kayan /kajan/ | paty /pati/ | inn /in/ |
| Dog | e-buy /ebuj/ | ᜀᜐᜓ /aso/ | ekingok /ekiŋɡok/ | ui /ui/ | atu /atu/ | pero /peɾo/ | ui /ui/ |
| Cat | e-busa /ebusa/ | ᜉᜓᜐ /pusa/ | ekapa /ekapa/ | mibu /mibu/ | posi /posi/ | meu /meu/ | minu /minu/ |
| Eat | e-ri /eri/ | ᜃᜁᜈ᜔ /kain/ | akinyam /akiɲam/ | ngui /ŋui/ | kuman /kuman/ | onökö /onøkø/ | ei /ei/ |
| Drink | ka-piti /kapiti/ | ᜁᜈᜓᜋ᜔ /inom/ | akimat /akimat/ | rai /rai/ | naqayan /naqajan/ | ëne /ɘne/ | din /din/ |
| One | enor /enor/ | ᜁᜐ /isa/ | ediopet /ediopet/ | kha /kʰa/ | tata /tata/ | o:wi /oːwi/ | pakhat /pakʰat/ |
| Two | sikaba /sikaba/ | ᜇᜎᜏ /dalaˈwa/ | iarei /iarei/ | khani /kʰani/ | tusha /tuʃa/ | oko /oko/ | pahnih /pahniʔ/ |
| Hello | kasumay /kasumaj/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔ /mabuhaj/ | yoga /joɡa/ | hayau /hajau/ | ya /ja/ | mary /maɾi/ | na dam maw /na dam maw/ |
| Thank you | abara'k /abaɾaʔk/ | ᜐᜎᜋᜆ᜔ /salamat/ | eyalama /ejalama/ | ase /ase/ | mihu /mihu/ | irombo /iɾombo/ | ka lawm /ka lawm/ |
| Good | esum /esum/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜆᜒ /mabuti/ | ejok /edʒok/ | kahei /kahei/ | kapah /kapah/ | epoja /epoja/ | tha /tʰa/ |
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