Jola language
Encyclopedia
Jola or Diola is the name for a dialect cluster spoken in Senegal
, The Gambia
, and Guinea Bissau. It belongs to the Bak branch
of the Niger–Congo
language family.
Bayot
, spoken around Ziguinchor
, is grammatically Jola apart from a non-Jola pronominal system, but maybe half its vocabulary is non-Jola and even non-Atlantic
. It may therefore be a language isolate
with substantial Jola borrowing (relexification
). In any case it is clearly distinct from (other) Jola languages.
The primary branches of Jola proper and to some extent Central Jola are not mutually intelligible. The main varieties are:
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
, and Guinea Bissau. It belongs to the Bak branch
Bak languages
-Bijago:Bijago is highly divergent. Sapir classified it as an isolate within West Atlantic. However, Segerer showed that this is primarily due to unrecognized sound changes, and that Bijago is in fact close to the Bak languages...
of the Niger–Congo
Niger–Congo languages
The Niger–Congo languages constitute one of the world's major language families, and Africa's largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. They may constitute the world's largest language family in terms of distinct languages, although this question...
language family.
Bayot
Bayot language
Bayot is a language of southern Senegal, southwest of Ziguinchor in a group of villages near Nyassia, in northwestern Guinea-Bissau, along the Senegalese border, and in The Gambia....
, spoken around Ziguinchor
Ziguinchor
Ziguinchor is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000...
, is grammatically Jola apart from a non-Jola pronominal system, but maybe half its vocabulary is non-Jola and even non-Atlantic
Atlantic languages
The Atlantic or West Atlantic languages of West Africa are an obsolete proposed major group of the Niger–Congo languages. They are those languages west of Kru which have the noun-class systems characteristic of the Niger–Congo family; in this they are distinguished from their Mande neighbors, which...
. It may therefore be a language isolate
Language isolate
A language isolate, in the absolute sense, is a natural language with no demonstrable genealogical relationship with other languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. They are in effect language families consisting of a single...
with substantial Jola borrowing (relexification
Relexification
Relexification is a term in linguistics used to describe the mechanism of language change by which one language replaces much or all of its lexicon, including basic vocabulary, with that of another language, without drastic change to its grammar. It is principally used to describe pidgins, creoles,...
). In any case it is clearly distinct from (other) Jola languages.
The primary branches of Jola proper and to some extent Central Jola are not mutually intelligible. The main varieties are:
- ? BayotBayot languageBayot is a language of southern Senegal, southwest of Ziguinchor in a group of villages near Nyassia, in northwestern Guinea-Bissau, along the Senegalese border, and in The Gambia....
- Jola proper
- Central Jola
- (Jola) Fonyi (Kujamatay), spoken around BignonaBignonaBignona is a town located in the Ziguinchor Region of Senegal. It briefly appears in the movie Binta and the Great Idea.-Notable people:*Landing Savané, politician*Ibrahima Sonko, footballer*Lamine Diarra, footballer*Séni Camara, sculptor...
. The official standard. - Banjaal (Bandial), spoken in a small area south of the Casamance RiverCasamance RiverThe Casamance River flows westward for the most part into the Atlantic Ocean along a path about 200 miles in length. However, only 80 miles of it are navigable. The Casamance is the principal river of the Kolda, Sédhiou, and Ziguinchor Regions in the southern portion of Senegal between The...
. - GusilayGusilay languageGusilay is a Jola language of the Casamance region of Senegal....
, spoken in the village of Tionk Essil. - Ejamat (Jola Felupe), spoken in a handful of villages south of Oussouye. Kerak may be a dialect.
- (Jola) KasaKasa languageKasa, or Jóola-Kaasa is a Jola language of the Casamance region of Senegal and neighboring Gambia....
, spoken around Oussouye.
- (Jola) Fonyi (Kujamatay), spoken around Bignona
- Kuwaataay, spoken along the coast south of the Casamance RiverCasamance RiverThe Casamance River flows westward for the most part into the Atlantic Ocean along a path about 200 miles in length. However, only 80 miles of it are navigable. The Casamance is the principal river of the Kolda, Sédhiou, and Ziguinchor Regions in the southern portion of Senegal between The...
. - Karon–Mlomp
- KaronKaron languageThe Karon language is an endangered language of Senegal and Gambia. It belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family, and is particularly closely related to the Mlomp language.- External links :* *...
, spoken along the coast of CasamanceCasamanceCasamance is the area of Senegal south of The Gambia including the Casamance River. It consists of Basse Casamance and Haute Casamance...
south of Diouloulou. - MlompMlomp languageThe Mlomp language, also known as Gulompaay. The language is spoken in Senegal. It belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family, and is particularly closely related to the Karon language.- External links :*...
, spoken in the village of Mlomp.
- Karon
- Central Jola