The Wolof is a language that is part of the “Senegambriano” branch of the linguistic lineage of Niger – Congo, with about 7 million speakers in Senegal, France, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania. The Wolof is one of the six national languages of Senegal, along with Serer, Mandinka, Pulaar, Diola, Soninke.
Small phrasebook / vocabulary from Wolof / english:
- Salaamaalekum! = Hello!
- Salaamaalekum! = Good morning!
- Salaamaalekum! = Good morning!
- Salaamalekum! = Good evening!
- fanaanal ak jàmm! = Good night!
- ba beneen yoon = Hello!
- jàmm ak jàmm = Goodbye!
- waaw = Yes.
- déedéet = No.
- xéj na = maybe
- baxna = Ok.
- jërëjëf = Thank you!
- Baal ma …. = Excuse me ….
- Maa ngi jegg ëlu = I’m sorry …
- Amnaa … / Amouma … = I have …, I haven’t …
- Amnañu … / Amuñu … = We have / We have not …
- Amna … / Amul … = There is …, There is …
- Maa ngi tudd … = My name is …
- Maa ngi joge … = I come (from) …
- Maa ngi am …. at. = I have … years.
- Seynaa. / Seyuma. I am married / I am not married.
- Damay (Duma) tukki man kenn. = I don’t travel alone
- Damay tukki ak …. = I travel with …
- Tus = zero
- benn = one
- ñaar = two
- ñett = three
- ñeent = four
- juróom = five
- juróom benn = six
- juróom ñaar = seven
- juróom ñett = eight
- juróom ñeent = nine
- fukk = ten
- fukk ak benn = eleven
- fukk ak ñaar = twelve
- fukk ak ñett = thirteen
- fukk ak ñeent = fourteen
- fukk ak juróom = fifteen
- fukk ak juróom-benn = sixteen
- fukk ak juróom- ñaar = seventeen
- fukk ak juróom- ñeet = eighteen
- fukk ak juróom- ñeent = nineteen
- ñaar-fukk = twenty
- ñaar-fukk ak benn = twenty one
- ñett-fukk / = fanweer thirty
- ñeent-fukk = forty
- juróom-fukk = fifty
- juróom -benn-fukk = seidici
- juróom- ñaar-fukk = seventy
- juróom- ñett-fukk = eighty
- juróom-ñeent-fukk = ninety
- téeméer = cent
- junni = one thousand
- tamndareet = / million one million
- ay = a little
These are some of the basic terms of the Wolof language found on the internet and asked for in person but obviously they are still few.
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