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
20 core words in Mandinka
Water
jiyo
/dʒijo/
Fire
dimbaa
/dimbaː/
Sun
tilo
/tilo/
Moon
karoo
/karoː/
Mother
baa
/baː/
Father
faa
/faː/
Eat
domo
/domo/
Drink
miŋ
/miŋ/
Love
kanu
/kanu/
Heart
sondomoo
/sondomoː/
Tree
yiroo
/jiroː/
House
buŋo
/buŋo/
Dog
wuloo
/wuloː/
Cat
ñankuma
/ɲankuma/
Hand
buloo
/buloː/
Eye
ɲaa
/ɲaː/
Hello
salaam
/salaːm/
Thank you
abaraka
/abaraka/
One
kiliŋ
/kiliŋ/
Good
beteyaa
/betejaː/
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Mande, Manding) languages
| Meaning | Mandinka | Konabéré | Xaasongaxango | Kita Maninkakan | Western Maninkakan | Eastern Maninka | Dyula |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | jiyo /dʒijo/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ |
| Fire | dimbaa /dimbaː/ | ta /ta/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ |
| Sun | tilo /tilo/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ | tle /tle/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ |
| Moon | karoo /karoː/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ |
| Mother | baa /baː/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | na /na/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ |
| Father | faa /faː/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ |
| Eat | domo /domo/ | don /don/ | domu /domu/ | don /don/ | don /don/ | domu /domu/ | dun /dun/ |
| Drink | miŋ /miŋ/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ |
| Love | kanu /kanu/ | kana /kana/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ |
| Heart | sondomoo /sondomoː/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ |
| Tree | yiroo /jiroː/ | yiri /jiri/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiri/ |
| House | buŋo /buŋo/ | so /so/ | so /so/ | so /so/ | so /so/ | lu /lu/ | so /so/ |
| Dog | wuloo /wuloː/ | fugo /fuɡo/ | wulu /wulu/ | wulu /wulu/ | wulu /wulu/ | wuli /wuli/ | wulu /wulu/ |
| Cat | ñankuma /ɲankuma/ | nyukuma /ɲukuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | ñaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | nyaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ |
| Hand | buloo /buloː/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ |
| Eye | ɲaa /ɲaː/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ña /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ |
| Hello | salaam /salaːm/ | ka kɛ /ka kɛ/ | 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/ |
| Thank you | abaraka /abaraka/ | baraka /baɾaka/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni se /i ni se/ | i ni ce /i ni tʃe/ |
| One | kiliŋ /kiliŋ/ | kelen /kelen/ | kele /kele/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ |
| Good | beteyaa /betejaː/ | ɲuman /ɲuman/ | nyi /ɲi/ | ñuman /ɲuman/ | nyuman /ɲuman/ | ka ɲi /ka ɲi/ | ɲuman /ɲuman/ |
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