Wolof
Atlantic (Niger-Congo)
Wolof is the de facto lingua franca of Senegal, with ~5M L1 + ~7M L2 (~80% of Senegal's population speaks it despite French being the sole official language). It is a Senegambian Atlantic-Congo language, sister to Serer and Fula. Two writing systems: the 1971 government-standardized Latin orthography for state/secular use, and Wolofal (Arabic-derived Ajami) used since the 19th century by the Mouride and Tijani Sufi brotherhoods for religious poetry — the cheikh-amadou-bamba qasidas of the Mouride order are foundational Wolofal literature. Linguistically Wolof is non-tonal (rare in West African Atlantic-Congo), with consonant gradation and noun-class concordial agreement (~10 noun classes).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Wolof
Water
ndox
/ndɔx/
Fire
safara
/safaɾa/
Sun
jant
/dʒant/
Moon
weer
/wɛːɾ/
Star
biddiw
/biddiw/
Mother
yaay
/jaːj/
Father
baay
/baːj/
I
man
/man/
You
yow
/jow/
Name
tur
/tur/
Eye
bët
/bət/
Hand
loxo
/lɔxɔ/
Heart
xol
/xɔl/
Love
mbëggeel
/mbəɡːɛːl/
Tree
garab
/ɡaɾab/
House
kër
/kəɾ/
Dog
xaj
/xaj/
Cat
muus
/muːs/
Eat
lekk
/lɛkː/
Drink
naan
/naːn/
One
benn
/bɛnː/
Two
ñaar
/ɲaːr/
Hello
na nga def
/na ŋɡa dɛf/
Thank you
jërëjëf
/dʒəɾədʒəf/
Good
baax
/baːx/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic (Niger-Congo) languages
| Meaning | Wolof | Serer | Kannada | Kurdish (Sorani) | Marwari | Magahi | Konkani |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ndox /ndɔx/ | mbox /mbɔx/ | ನೀರು /niːɾu/ | ئاو /ɑːw/ | पाणी /paːɳiː/ | पानी /paːni/ | उदक /udək/ |
| Fire | safara /safaɾa/ | ngir /ŋɡiɾ/ | ಬೆಂಕಿ /beŋkɪ/ | ئاگر /ɑːɡɪɾ/ | आग /aːɡ/ | आग /aːɡ/ | उज्जो /udʒːo/ |
| Sun | jant /dʒant/ | naangu /naːŋɡu/ | ಸೂರ್ಯ /suːɾjə/ | خۆر /xoːɾ/ | सूरज /suːɾədʒ/ | सूरज /suːraj/ | सूर्य /suɾjə/ |
| Moon | weer /wɛːɾ/ | weer /weːɾ/ | ಚಂದ್ರ /tʃəndɾə/ | مانگ /mɑːŋɡ/ | चांद /tʃãːd/ | चान /tʃaːn/ | चंद्र /tʃəndɾə/ |
| Star | biddiw /biddiw/ | xôr /xɔːr/ | ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ /nakʂat̪ra/ | ئەستێرە /ʔæsteːɾæ/ | तारो /taːro/ | तारा /taːraː/ | नखेत्र /nəkʰetr/ |
| Mother | yaay /jaːj/ | yaay /jaːj/ | ಅಮ್ಮ /əmːə/ | دایک /dɑːjɪk/ | मा /maː/ | माय /maːj/ | आवय /aːʋəj/ |
| Father | baay /baːj/ | baay /baːj/ | ಅಪ್ಪ /əpːə/ | باوک /bɑːwk/ | बाप /baːp/ | बाबू /baːbuː/ | बापुय /baːpuj/ |
| I | man /man/ | mi /mi/ | ನಾನು /naːnu/ | من /mɪn/ | म्हैं /mʱɛ̃/ | हम /ɦəm/ | हांव /ɦãːʋ/ |
| You | yow /jow/ | wo /wo/ | ನೀನು /niːnu/ | تۆ /to/ | थूं /tʰũ/ | तूँ /tũː/ | तूं /tũː/ |
| Name | tur /tur/ | sant /sant/ | ಹೆಸರು /hesaru/ | ناو /naw/ | नाम /naːm/ | नाम /naːm/ | नांव /nãːʋ/ |
| Eye | bët /bət/ | kën /kən/ | ಕಣ್ಣು /kəɳːu/ | چاو /tʃɑːw/ | आंख /aːŋkʰ/ | आँख /aːŋkʰ/ | दोळो /doːɭo/ |
| Hand | loxo /lɔxɔ/ | ɓod /ɓɔd/ | ಕೈ /kəi/ | دەست /dɛst/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | हात /haːt/ |
| Heart | xol /xɔl/ | xol /xɔl/ | ಹೃದಯ /ɦɾudəjə/ | دڵ /dɪɫ/ | हियो /hijo/ | मन /mən/ | काळीज /kaːɭiːdʒ/ |
| Love | mbëggeel /mbəɡːɛːl/ | mbutu /mbutu/ | ಪ್ರೀತಿ /pɾiːtɪ/ | خۆشەویستی /xoʃɛwiːstiː/ | मया /məjaː/ | प्रेम /preːm/ | मोग /moɡ/ |
| Tree | garab /ɡaɾab/ | garab /ɡaɾab/ | ಮರ /məɾə/ | دار /dɑːɾ/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ | गाछ /ɡaːtʃʰ/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ |
| House | kër /kəɾ/ | kër /kəɾ/ | ಮನೆ /məne/ | ماڵ /mɑːɫ/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | घर /ɡʱər/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ |
| Dog | xaj /xaj/ | xaj /xaj/ | ನಾಯಿ /naːjɪ/ | سەگ /sɛɡ/ | कुत्तो /kutːo/ | कूकूर /kuːkuːr/ | सुणें /suɳẽ/ |
| Cat | muus /muːs/ | mboor /mboːɾ/ | ಬೆಕ್ಕು /bekːu/ | پشیلە /pʃiːlɛ/ | मीनी /miːniː/ | बिलाई /bilaːi/ | माजर /maːdʒəɾ/ |
| Eat | lekk /lɛkː/ | niam /ɲam/ | ತಿನ್ನು /tɪnːu/ | خواردن /xwɑːɾdɪn/ | खाणो /kʰaːɳo/ | खैना /kʰaiːnaː/ | खांव /kʰaːũ/ |
| Drink | naan /naːn/ | ñam /ɲam/ | ಕುಡಿ /kuɖɪ/ | خواردنەوە /xwɑːɾdɪnɛwɛ/ | पीणो /piːɳo/ | पीना /piːnaː/ | पिएंव /pieːũ/ |
| One | benn /bɛnː/ | leeng /leːŋɡ/ | ಒಂದು /ondu/ | یەک /jɛk/ | एक /eːk/ | एक /eːk/ | एक /eːk/ |
| Two | ñaar /ɲaːr/ | ɗak /ɗak/ | ಎರಡು /eraɖu/ | دوو /duː/ | बे /be/ | दू /duː/ | दोन /doːn/ |
| Hello | na nga def /na ŋɡa dɛf/ | nam fiyo /nam fijo/ | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ /nəməskaːɾə/ | سڵاو /sɫɑːw/ | खम्मा घणी /kʰəmːaː ɡʱəɳiː/ | परणाम /prəɳaːm/ | नमस्कार /nəməskaːɾ/ |
| Thank you | jërëjëf /dʒəɾədʒəf/ | jaaraama /dʒaːɾaːma/ | ಧನ್ಯವಾದ /dʱənjəʋaːdə/ | سوپاس /supɑːs/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | देव बरें करूं /deʋ bəɾẽ kəɾũ/ |
| Good | baax /baːx/ | xaal /xaːl/ | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ /oɭːejə/ | باش /bɑːʃ/ | बढ़िया /bəɽʱijaː/ | नीक /niːk/ | बरो /bəɾo/ |
Word order compared
Compare with major world languages
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