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
31 core words in Susu
Water
yi
/ji/
Fire
te
/te/
Sun
soge
/soɡe/
Moon
kike
/kike/
Star
tunbi
/tunbi/
Mother
nga
/ŋɡa/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
n
/n/
You
i
/i/
Name
xili
/xili/
Eye
ya
/ja/
Hand
belexɛ
/belexɛ/
Heart
biye
/bije/
Love
xanunteya
/xanunteja/
Tree
wuri
/wuɾi/
House
banxi
/banxi/
Dog
barɛ
/baɾɛ/
Cat
nyɛɛsu
/ɲɛːsu/
Eat
don
/don/
Drink
min
/min/
One
keren
/keɾen/
Two
firin
/firin/
Hello
inu uxara
/inu uxaɾa/
Thank you
inu wali
/inu wali/
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 | Bambara | Konabéré |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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/ | tasuma /tasuma/ | ta /ta/ |
| 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/ |
| Star | tunbi /tunbi/ | lolo /lolo/ | lolo /lolo/ | lolo /lolo/ | lolo /lolo/ | dolo /dòlo/ | tɛnɛ /tɛ̀nɛ̀/ |
| 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/ |
| I | n /n/ | ne /ne/ | ne /ne/ | ne /ne/ | ne /ne/ | ne /nè/ | n /ǹ/ |
| You | i /i/ | i /i/ | i /i/ | i /i/ | i /i/ | i /í/ | i /í/ |
| Name | xili /xili/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔɔ /tɔː/ | tɔgɔ /tɔ̀ɡɔ/ | to /tō/ |
| Eye | ya /ja/ | ña /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ɲa /ɲa/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ |
| Hand | belexɛ /belexɛ/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ | bolo /bolo/ |
| Heart | biye /bije/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ | dusu /dusu/ |
| Love | xanunteya /xanunteja/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kanu /kanu/ | kana /kana/ |
| Tree | wuri /wuɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | yiri /jiɾi/ | jiri /dʒiɾi/ | yiri /jiri/ |
| 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/ | wulu /wulu/ | fugo /fuɡo/ |
| Cat | nyɛɛsu /ɲɛːsu/ | ñaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | nyaakuma /ɲaːkuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ | nyukuma /ɲukuma/ |
| Eat | don /don/ | don /don/ | don /don/ | domu /domu/ | domu /domu/ | dumuni /dumuni/ | don /don/ |
| Drink | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ | min /min/ |
| One | keren /keɾen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ | kele /kele/ | kelen /kelen/ | kelen /kelen/ |
| Two | firin /firin/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fila/ | fila /fìla/ | pla /plà/ |
| 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/ | i ni ce /i ni tʃɛ/ | ka kɛ /ka kɛ/ |
| Thank you | inu wali /inu wali/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni ce /i ni tʃe/ | i ni baara /i ni baːɾa/ | i ni ce /i ni tʃɛ/ | baraka /baɾaka/ |
| Good | fanyi /faɲi/ | ñuman /ɲuman/ | nyuman /ɲuman/ | ka ɲi /ka ɲi/ | nyi /ɲi/ | ka ɲi /ka ɲi/ | ɲuman /ɲuman/ |
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