Suppire
Senoufo Supyire
Niger-Congo
Senoufo Supyire (Suppire, "the Senufo speech") is the principal Senufo language of southwestern Mali, spoken across the Sikasso Region by ~750,000 Senufo (Suppire-speaking subgroup). The Senufo cluster (Supyire, Mamara, Sicite, Tagbana, Cebaara, etc. — ~3M total speakers across Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire) is one of the smallest branches of Atlantic-Congo, with internal mutual intelligibility limited despite ethnic unity. Famous for the Senufo "balafon" (West African xylophone) musical tradition and elaborate masked ritual society (Poro). Linguistically, Senufo shows Atlantic-Congo Bantu-like noun-class system (~6 classes), tonal (3 tones with downstep), and SOV constituent order. The Carlson 1994 reference grammar is a seminal work in Senufo linguistics.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Senoufo Supyire
Water
lwɔ
/lwɔ/
Fire
fyaa
/fjaː/
Sun
kanha
/kaɲa/
Moon
cuoꞌngo
/tʃuoŋɡo/
Star
lɔhɔ
/lɔ̀hɔ̀/
Mother
naa
/naː/
Father
saa
/saː/
I
mii
/mìː/
You
mu
/mú/
Name
yabɛ
/jàbɛ̀/
Eye
fyaha
/fjaha/
Hand
kya
/kja/
Heart
urɔ
/uɾɔ/
Love
lyɛnɛ
/ʎɛnɛ/
Tree
kapyiŋi
/kapjiŋi/
House
nyiŋkanaŋa
/ɲiŋkanaŋa/
Dog
fwo
/fwo/
Cat
baha
/baha/
Eat
kanyi
/kaɲi/
Drink
nyaha
/ɲaha/
One
ni
/ni/
Two
shuunni
/ʃùːnːì/
Hello
mɛ
/mɛ/
Thank you
fenge
/feŋɡe/
Good
nyaha
/ɲaha/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Senoufo Supyire | Okinawan | Tagalog | Meta' | Kabiye | Odia | Igbo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | lwɔ /lwɔ/ | 水 /midʑi/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | mə /mə/ | lɩm /lɩm/ | ପାଣି /paːɳi/ | mmiri /mːiɾi/ |
| Fire | fyaa /fjaː/ | ふぃー /ɸiː/ | apoy /ʔaˈpoj/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | miŋ /miŋ/ | ନିଆଁ /niãː/ | ọkụ /ɔkʊ/ |
| Sun | kanha /kaɲa/ | てぃーだ /tiːda/ | araw /ˈʔaɾaw/ | nyam /ɲam/ | wɩsɩ /wɩsɩ/ | ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ /suːɾjɔ/ | anyanwụ /aɲaŋwʊ/ |
| Moon | cuoꞌngo /tʃuoŋɡo/ | 月 /tɕitɕi/ | buwan /buwan/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | fenaɣ /fenaɣ/ | ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର /tʃɔndɾɔ/ | ọnwa /ɔŋwa/ |
| Star | lɔhɔ /lɔ̀hɔ̀/ | ふし /ɸuɕi/ | bituin /bɪtuˈʔin/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | tɩɩŋa /tɪːŋa/ | ତାରା /taɾa/ | kpakpando /kpakpando/ |
| Mother | naa /naː/ | あんまー /ʔammaː/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ | ma /ma/ | ɖoo /ɖoː/ | ମା /maː/ | nne /nːe/ |
| Father | saa /saː/ | すー /suː/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ | ta /ta/ | caa /caː/ | ବାପା /baːpaː/ | nna /nːa/ |
| I | mii /mìː/ | わん /waɴ/ | ako /ʔaˈko/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | ma /má/ | ମୁଁ /mũ/ | mụ /mʊ/ |
| You | mu /mú/ | やー /ʔjaː/ | ikaw /ʔiˈkaw/ | ò /ò/ | ña /ɲá/ | ତୁମେ /tume/ | gị /ɡɪ/ |
| Name | yabɛ /jàbɛ̀/ | なー /naː/ | pangalan /paˈŋalan/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | hɩɖɛ /hɪɖɛ/ | ନାମ /namɔ/ | aha /aha/ |
| Eye | fyaha /fjaha/ | 目 /miː/ | mata /mata/ | dzi /dzi/ | ɛsɩ /ɛsɩ/ | ଆଖି /aːkʰi/ | anya /aɲa/ |
| Hand | kya /kja/ | 手 /tiː/ | kamay /kamaj/ | boa /boa/ | nesi /nesi/ | ହାତ /haːtɔ/ | aka /aka/ |
| Heart | urɔ /uɾɔ/ | 心 /kukuɾu/ | puso /puˈsoʔ/ | mu /mu/ | laŋɩyɛ /laŋɩjɛ/ | ହୃଦୟ /hɾudɔjɔ/ | obi /obi/ |
| Love | lyɛnɛ /ʎɛnɛ/ | 情き /nasaki/ | pag-ibig /paɡʔibiɡ/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | sɔɔlɩm /sɔːlɩm/ | ପ୍ରେମ /pɾemɔ/ | ịhụnanya /ɪhʊnaɲa/ |
| Tree | kapyiŋi /kapjiŋi/ | 木 /kiː/ | puno /puno/ | ti /ti/ | tɩʋ /tɩʋ/ | ଗଛ /ɡɔtʃʰɔ/ | osisi /osisi/ |
| House | nyiŋkanaŋa /ɲiŋkanaŋa/ | 家 /jaː/ | bahay /bahaj/ | nda /nda/ | ɖɩɣa /ɖɩɣa/ | ଘର /ɡʱɔɾɔ/ | ụlọ /ʊlɔ/ |
| Dog | fwo /fwo/ | 犬 /ʔiɴ/ | aso /ˈʔaso/ | mbu /mbu/ | hayʋ /hajʋ/ | କୁକୁର /kukuɾɔ/ | nkịta /ŋkɪta/ |
| Cat | baha /baha/ | まやー /majaː/ | pusa /pusa/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | takpaŋ /takpaŋ/ | ବିଲେଇ /bilei/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ |
| Eat | kanyi /kaɲi/ | 食でぃ /kadi/ | kumain /kumaˈʔin/ | mé /me/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | ଖାଇବା /kʰaːɪbaː/ | iri /iɾi/ |
| Drink | nyaha /ɲaha/ | 飲でぃ /nudi/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ | nyo /ɲo/ | ñɔɔ /ɲɔː/ | ପିଇବା /piːɪbaː/ | ịṅụ /ɪŋʊ/ |
| One | ni /ni/ | 一 /tiːtɕi/ | isa /ʔiˈsa/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | kʋyʋmaɣ /kʋjʋmaɣ/ | ଏକ /ekɔ/ | otu /otu/ |
| Two | shuunni /ʃùːnːì/ | たーち /taːtɕi/ | dalawa /dalaˈwa/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | naalɛ /naːlɛ/ | ଦୁଇ /dui/ | abụọ /abʊɔ/ |
| Hello | mɛ /mɛ/ | はいさい /haisai/ | kamusta /kamusta/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | ndɩ na /ndɩ na/ | ନମସ୍କାର /nɔmɔskaːɾɔ/ | nnọọ /nːɔː/ |
| Thank you | fenge /feŋɡe/ | にふぇーでーびる /niɸeːdeːbiɾu/ | salamat /salamat/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | agɔndɩ /aɡɔndɩ/ | ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ /dʱɔnjɔbaːdɔ/ | daalụ /daːlʊ/ |
| Good | nyaha /ɲaha/ | ゆたさん /jutasaɴ/ | mabuti /mabuti/ | mwa /mwa/ | ɖeu /ɖeu/ | ଭଲ /bʱɔlɔ/ | ọma /ɔma/ |
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