Mandinka
Niger-Congo (Mande, Manding)
Mandinka is one of the principal Mande languages of Senegambia, descending in unbroken continuity from the language of the medieval Mali Empire. With Bambara and Dyula, it forms the Manding dialect continuum, with which it is often mutually intelligible.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Mandinka
Water
jiyo
/dʒijo/
Fire
dimbaa
/dimbaː/
Sun
tilo
/tilo/
Moon
karoo
/karoː/
Star
looloo
/loːloː/
Mother
baa
/baː/
Father
faa
/faː/
I
nte
/nte/
You
ite
/ite/
Name
too
/toː/
Eye
ɲaa
/ɲaː/
Hand
buloo
/buloː/
Heart
sondomoo
/sondomoː/
Love
kanu
/kanu/
Tree
yiroo
/jiroː/
House
buŋo
/buŋo/
Dog
wuloo
/wuloː/
Cat
ñankuma
/ɲankuma/
Eat
domo
/domo/
Drink
miŋ
/miŋ/
One
kiliŋ
/kiliŋ/
Two
fula
/fula/
Hello
salaam
/salaːm/
Thank you
abaraka
/abaraka/
Good
beteyaa
/betejaː/
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Mande, Manding) languages
| Meaning | Mandinka | Xaasongaxango | Kita Maninkakan | Western Maninkakan | Eastern Maninka | Dyula | Konabéré |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jiyo /dʒijo/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ |
| Fire | dimbaa /dimbaː/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | ta /ta/ |
| Sun | tilo /tilo/ | tile /tile/ | tle /tle/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ |
| Moon | karoo /karoː/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ |
| Star | looloo /loːloː/ | lolo /lolo/ | lolo /lolo/ | lolo /lolo/ | lolo /lolo/ | dolo /dólo/ | tɛnɛ /tɛ̀nɛ̀/ |
| Mother | baa /baː/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | na /na/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ |
| Father | faa /faː/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ |
| I | nte /nte/ | ne /ne/ | ne /ne/ | ne /ne/ | ne /ne/ | ń /ŋ́/ | n /ǹ/ |
| You | ite /ite/ | i /i/ | i /i/ | i /i/ | i /i/ | í /í/ | i /í/ |
| Name | too /toː/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔgɔ /tɔ́gɔ/ | to /tō/ |
| Eye | ɲaa /ɲaː/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ña /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ |
| Hand | buloo /buloː/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ |
| Heart | sondomoo /sondomoː/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ |
| Love | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kana /kana/ |
| Tree | yiroo /jiroː/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiri/ | yiri /jiri/ |
| House | buŋo /buŋo/ | so /so/ | so /so/ | so /so/ | lu /lu/ | so /so/ | so /so/ |
| Dog | wuloo /wuloː/ | wulu /wulu/ | wulu /wulu/ | wulu /wulu/ | wuli /wuli/ | wulu /wulu/ | fugo /fuɡo/ |
| Cat | ñankuma /ɲankuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | ñaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | nyaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | nyukuma /ɲukuma/ |
| Eat | domo /domo/ | domu /domu/ | don /don/ | don /don/ | domu /domu/ | dun /dun/ | don /don/ |
| Drink | miŋ /miŋ/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ |
| One | kiliŋ /kiliŋ/ | kele /kele/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ |
| Two | fula /fula/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fìla/ | pla /plà/ |
| Hello | salaam /salaːm/ | i ni sogoma /i ni soɡoma/ | i ni soɣoma /i ni soɣoma/ | i ni sögöma /i ni soɣoma/ | i ni se /i ni se/ | i ni soɣoma /i ni soɣoma/ | ka kɛ /ka kɛ/ |
| Thank you | abaraka /abaraka/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni ce /i ni tʃe/ | i ni ce /i ni tʃe/ | baraka /baɾaka/ |
| Good | beteyaa /betejaː/ | nyi /ɲi/ | ñuman /ɲuman/ | nyuman /ɲuman/ | ka ɲi /ka ɲi/ | ɲuman /ɲuman/ | ɲuman /ɲuman/ |
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