Sosokuye
Susu
Niger-Congo (Mande, Western, Susu-Yalunka)
Susu (Sosokuye, also Soussou) is the principal coastal language of Guinea around the capital Conakry, and one of Guinea's eight recognized national languages. A Western Mande language, Susu is closely related to Yalunka but lexically distinct from the Manding cluster (Bambara, Dyula, Mandinka). It is the dominant trade language along Guinea's coast and into northern Sierra Leone, where it serves as a market lingua franca alongside Krio.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Susu
Water
yi
/ji/
Fire
te
/te/
Sun
soge
/soɡe/
Moon
kike
/kike/
Mother
nga
/ŋɡa/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
don
/don/
Drink
min
/min/
Love
xanunteya
/xanunteja/
Heart
biye
/bije/
Tree
wuri
/wuɾi/
House
banxi
/banxi/
Dog
barɛ
/baɾɛ/
Cat
nyɛɛsu
/ɲɛːsu/
Hand
belexɛ
/belexɛ/
Eye
ya
/ja/
Hello
inu uxara
/inu uxaɾa/
Thank you
inu wali
/inu wali/
One
keren
/keɾen/
Good
fanyi
/faɲi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Mande, Western, Susu-Yalunka) languages
| Meaning | Susu | Kita Maninkakan | Western Maninkakan | Eastern Maninka | Xaasongaxango | Konabéré | Bambara |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | yi /ji/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ | ji /dʒi/ |
| Fire | te /te/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | ta /ta/ | tasuma /tasuma/ |
| Sun | soge /soɡe/ | tle /tle/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ | tile /tile/ |
| Moon | kike /kike/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ | kalo /kalo/ |
| Mother | nga /ŋɡa/ | ba /ba/ | na /na/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ | fa /fa/ |
| Eat | don /don/ | don /don/ | don /don/ | domu /domu/ | domu /domu/ | don /don/ | dumuni /dumuni/ |
| Drink | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ |
| Love | xanunteya /xanunteja/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kana /kana/ | kanu /kanu/ |
| Heart | biye /bije/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ |
| Tree | wuri /wuɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiri/ | jiri /dʒiɾi/ |
| House | banxi /banxi/ | so /so/ | so /so/ | lu /lu/ | so /so/ | so /so/ | so /so/ |
| Dog | barɛ /baɾɛ/ | wulu /wulu/ | wulu /wulu/ | wuli /wuli/ | wulu /wulu/ | fugo /fuɡo/ | wulu /wulu/ |
| Cat | nyɛɛsu /ɲɛːsu/ | ñaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | nyaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | nyukuma /ɲukuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ |
| Hand | belexɛ /belexɛ/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ |
| Eye | ya /ja/ | ña /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ |
| Hello | inu uxara /inu uxaɾa/ | i ni soɣoma /i ni soɣoma/ | i ni sögöma /i ni soɣoma/ | i ni se /i ni se/ | i ni sogoma /i ni soɡoma/ | ka kɛ /ka kɛ/ | i ni ce /i ni t͡ʃɛ/ |
| Thank you | inu wali /inu wali/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni se /i ni se/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | baraka /baɾaka/ | i ni ce /i ni t͡ʃɛ/ |
| One | keren /keɾen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kele /kele/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ |
| Good | fanyi /faɲi/ | ñuman /ɲuman/ | nyuman /ɲuman/ | ka ɲi /ka ɲi/ | nyi /ɲi/ | ɲuman /ɲuman/ | ka ɲi /ka ɲi/ |
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