Seereer
Serer
Niger-Congo
Serer (Seereer) is a major language of Senegal's Atlantic Senegambian branch, part of the Cangin subgroup. Spoken by ~1.4 million Serer in the historic Sine-Saloum kingdom region (south-central coastal Senegal) and the Petite Côte (between Dakar and the Gambian border). Serer is the language of the Sine-Saloum and Joal-Fadiouth Serer royalty and remains tied to traditional Serer religion alongside Islam (the majority practice). Linguistically, Serer has classic Atlantic features: tonal (high/low), 12+ noun class system with consonant alternations, and verb-initial and verb-medial syntax.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Serer
Water
mbox
/mbɔx/
Fire
ngir
/ŋɡiɾ/
Sun
naangu
/naːŋɡu/
Moon
weer
/weːɾ/
Mother
yaay
/jaːj/
Father
baay
/baːj/
Eat
niam
/ɲam/
Drink
ñam
/ɲam/
Love
mbutu
/mbutu/
Heart
xol
/xɔl/
Tree
garab
/ɡaɾab/
House
kër
/kəɾ/
Dog
xaj
/xaj/
Cat
mboor
/mboːɾ/
Hand
ɓod
/ɓɔd/
Eye
kën
/kən/
Hello
na nga def
/na ŋɡa dɛf/
Thank you
jaaraama
/dʒaːɾaːma/
One
leeng
/leːŋɡ/
Good
xaal
/xaːl/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Serer | Wolof | Fula | Haryanvi | Kannada | Kashmiri | Maithili |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mbox /mbɔx/ | ndox /ndɔx/ | ndiyam /ndijam/ | पाणी /paːɳiː/ | ನೀರು /niːɾu/ | آب /ab/ | पानी /paːniː/ |
| Fire | ngir /ŋɡiɾ/ | safara /safaɾa/ | yiite /jiːte/ | आग /aːɡ/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋkɪ/ | نار /naːɾ/ | आगि /aːɡi/ |
| Sun | naangu /naːŋɡu/ | jant /dʒant/ | naange /naːŋɡe/ | सूरज /suːɾədʒ/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾjə/ | آفتاب /aːftaːb/ | सूरज /suːrəd͡ʒ/ |
| Moon | weer /weːɾ/ | weer /wɛːɾ/ | lewru /lewɾu/ | चांद /tʃãːd/ | ಚಂದ್ರ /tʃəndɾə/ | زۆن /zuːn/ | चान /tʃaːn/ |
| Mother | yaay /jaːj/ | yaay /jaːj/ | yumma /jumːa/ | माई /maːiː/ | ಅಮ್ಮ /əmːə/ | مۄج /mɔdʒ/ | माय /maːj/ |
| Father | baay /baːj/ | baay /baːj/ | baaba /baːba/ | बापू /baːpuː/ | ಅಪ್ಪ /əpːə/ | مۆل /muːl/ | बाबू /baːbuː/ |
| Eat | niam /ɲam/ | lekk /lɛkː/ | ñaamde /ɲaːmde/ | खाणा /kʰaːɳaː/ | ತಿನ್ನು /tɪnːu/ | کھیون /kʰeːjɔn/ | खाएब /kʰaːeb/ |
| Drink | ñam /ɲam/ | naan /naːn/ | yarude /jaɾude/ | पीणा /piːɳaː/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖɪ/ | چھیون /tʃʰeːjɔn/ | पीयब /piːjəb/ |
| Love | mbutu /mbutu/ | mbëggeel /mbəɡːɛːl/ | yiɗde /jiɗːe/ | मोहब्बत /mohabːət/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːtɪ/ | محبت /muhabːət/ | प्रेम /preːm/ |
| Heart | xol /xɔl/ | xol /xɔl/ | ɓernde /ɓeɾnde/ | दिल /dɪl/ | ಹೃದಯ /ɦɾudəjə/ | دِل /dɪl/ | हृदय /hridəj/ |
| Tree | garab /ɡaɾab/ | garab /ɡaɾab/ | lekki /lekːi/ | पेड़ /peːɽ/ | ಮರ /məɾə/ | کُل /kul/ | गाछ /ɡaːtʃʰ/ |
| House | kër /kəɾ/ | kër /kəɾ/ | suudu /suːdu/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | ಮನೆ /məne/ | گَر /ɡəɾ/ | घर /ɡʱər/ |
| Dog | xaj /xaj/ | xaj /xaj/ | rawandu /ɾawandu/ | कुत्ता /kutːaː/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːjɪ/ | ہَون /huːn/ | कुकुर /kukur/ |
| Cat | mboor /mboːɾ/ | muus /muːs/ | ullundu /ulːundu/ | बिल्ली /bɪlːiː/ | ಬೆಕ್ಕು /bekːu/ | براري /braːriː/ | बिलाइ /bilaːi/ |
| Hand | ɓod /ɓɔd/ | loxo /lɔxɔ/ | junngo /dʒuŋːɡo/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | ಕೈ /kəi/ | اَتھ /atʰ/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ |
| Eye | kën /kən/ | bët /bət/ | yiitere /jiːteɾe/ | आख /aːkʰ/ | ಕಣ್ಣು /kəɳːu/ | چھَش /tʃəʃ/ | आँखि /ãːkʰi/ |
| Hello | na nga def /na ŋɡa dɛf/ | na nga def /na ŋɡa dɛf/ | jam tan /dʒam tan/ | राम राम /ɾaːm ɾaːm/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /nəməskaːɾə/ | اسلام علیکم /assalaːmu ʕalaikum/ | प्रणाम /prəɳaːm/ |
| Thank you | jaaraama /dʒaːɾaːma/ | jërëjëf /dʒəɾədʒəf/ | a jaaraama /a dʒaːɾaːma/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱənjəʋaːdə/ | شُکریہ /ʃukrijaː/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ |
| One | leeng /leːŋɡ/ | benn /bɛnː/ | go'o /ɡoʔo/ | एक /eːk/ | ಒಂದು /ondu/ | اَکھ /akʰ/ | एक /eːk/ |
| Good | xaal /xaːl/ | baax /baːx/ | moƴƴo /moƴːo/ | चोखा /tʃoːkʰaː/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ /oɭːejə/ | خۄب /xuːb/ | नीक /niːk/ |
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