- Mar 2021
-
jangawolof.org jangawolof.org
-
park
-
onion
-
not
-
moon
-
land
-
cool
-
jazz
-
good
-
fire
-
dog
-
chat
-
boy
-
Consonant
-
to look at
-
heart
-
long vowels
-
Vowel
-
moon
-
book
-
door
-
phone
-
beau
-
hot
-
meet
-
beetle
-
bird
-
sane
-
big
-
where
-
bedroom
-
far
-
life
-
butter
-
phonemes
-
graphemes
-
Wolof pronunciation
Tags
Annotators
URL
-
-
jangawolof.org jangawolof.orgAlphabet9
-
-
WOLOF ALPHABETS & PRONUNCIATION (LINKS)
https://omniglot.com/writing/wolof.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolofal_alphabet
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/318137161149181837/
https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/wolof/
https://jangawolof.org/2012/06/14/wolof-alphabet/
https://www.culturesofwestafrica.com/garay-alphabet-wolof-script/
https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/Language/Wolof/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation
-
WOLOF ALPHABETS & PRONUNCIATION (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6BRORS1C5o&t=80s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5EnQkAKK7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp8IqcOrhyY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY4TbhbdvFk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Yrv2qb1ik&t=20s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4DFUIIuiRQ
-
African sociolinguistic characteristics
-
Garay alphabet
-
Wolof language
-
Islamic Wolof culture
-
Wolofal
-
new browser tab
Pro tip: on a Mac tap trackpad with three fingers to preview link without leaving page.
-
-
jangawolof.org jangawolof.orgPhrases35
-
Am sa caabi!
-
Am na ñetti doom.
am v. -- to exist, to have.
na -- 1. pr. circ. so, defined distant. How? 'Or' What. 2. function indicator. As.
ñett+i -- three. 3️⃣
doom ji -- child by descent; doll. 👶🏽
-
Nee na ndëmm amul.
Il dit que la sorcellerie n'existe pas.
nee -- pr. circ. so, demonstratively distant. Cf. nale.
na -- 1. pr. circ. so, defined distant. How? 'Or' What. 2. function indicator. As.
ndëmm gi -- symbolic anthropophagia. 🧙
-
Degg naa ko muy tari Alxuraan.
-
Alxemes jiy ñów la lekkool di ubbi.
C'est jeudi prochain la rentrée des classes.
alxemes -- (Arabic) Thursday.
jiy -- (?).
ñów v. -- to come, to arrive.
la -- can mean a lot of different things depending on context.
lekkool bi -- (French: l'école) school. 🏫
di v. -- be; mark of the imperfective affirmative not inactual.
ubbi v. -- open, to start, begin, inaugurate.
-
Beykat yi duñu dem tool altine.
-
Wax na ko ko, aloor dina dem.
-
Fibar bi jàngal na taawan bu góor ni ñuy dagge reeni aloom.
Le guérisseur a appris à son fils aîné comment on coupe les racines du Diospyros.
fibar -- (fibar bi? the healer? as in feebar / fièvre / fever? -- used as a general term for sickness).
bi -- the (indicates nearness).
jàngal v. -- to teach (something to someone), to learn (something from someone) -- compare with jàng (as in janga wolof) and jàngale.
na -- pr. circ. way, defined, distant. How? 'Or' What. function indicator. As.
taaw+an (taaw) bi -- first child, eldest. (taawan -- his eldest).
bu -- the (indicates relativeness).
góor gi -- man; male.
ni -- pr. circ. way, defined, distant. How? 'Or' What. function indicator. As.
ñuy -- they (?).
dagg+e (dagg) v. -- cut; to cut.
reen+i (reen) bi -- root, taproot, support.
aloom gi -- Diospyros mespiliformis, EBENACEA (tree).
-
Dafa ànd ak moroom yi àll ba, fori aloom.
Il est allé dans la brousse ramasser des fruits de Diospyros avec ses camarades.
dafa -- he/she.
ànd v. / ànd bi -- to be together, to go together; copulate; going together, fellowship; placenta.
ak -- and, with, etc.
moroom mi -- comrade of the same age group, equal, companion, neighbor.
yi -- the (plural).
àll bi -- large expanse of uninhabited land, bush; distant, as opposed to home.
ba -- the (indicates distance).
for+i (for) v. -- to pick up.
aloom bi -- edible fruit of Diospyros mespiliformis (aloom gi for the tree).
-
Almet ji dafa tooy.
Les allumettes sont mouillées.
almet ji -- (French) matches.
ji -- the (indicates nearness).
dafa -- are (?).
tooy v. -- to be/get wet, humid, to be soaked; be fresh, be green.
-
Fexeel ba kër gi bañ ñàkk alkol.
Veille à ce qu'il ne manque pas d'alcool à la maison.
fexe+el (fexe) v. -- search/seek by all means.
ba -- the (?).
kër gi -- house; family.
gi -- the (indicates nearness).
bañ v. -- refuse, resist, refuse to; to hate; verb marking the negation in subordinate clauses.
ñàkk v. / ñàkk bi -- vaccinate / vaccine (not sure exactly how this fits in the sentence if it's even the right translation -- perhaps it has to do with surgical alcohol rather than drinking alcohol).
alkol ji -- (French) surgical alcohol. (I'm certain this is also used for the type of alcohol you drink -- but sangara is probably the most used term).
-
I use several sources for these translations but my primary source is:
Dictionnaire wolof-français suivi d'un index français-wolof par Arame Fal, Rosine Santos et Jean Léonce Doneux KARTHALA
-
Alkaati ba jàpp na sàcc.
Le gardien de la paix a pris un voleur.
alkaati bi -- policeman.
ba -- the (indicates remoteness).
jàpp v. -- grab, take, stop.
na -- (?).
sàcc bi -- thief.
-
Noo mën a def dinga fey alamaan bi.
Quoi que tu fasses, tu paieras l'amende.
noo -- you (?)
mën v. -- power ; be stronger than 💪🏽; can, will.
a -- (?).
def v. -- do, commit, execute; to put.
dinga -- you will.
fey v. -- turn off, switch off 📴, appease; pay 💵.
alamaan bi -- (French: l'amende) fine.
bi -- the.
-
Séentuwul woon ni dinañu ko alamaan.
Il ne s'attendait pas à ce qu'on lui inflige une amende.
"We didn't expect that we would be fined."
séentu+wul (séentu) v. -- to seek to see from afar 👀, to scrutinize 🧐, to expect.
woon -- he didn't (?).
ni -- formats a verb (?)
dinañu -- we will.
ko -- her, him, it.
alamaan v. -- (French: l'amende) give a fine.
-
Alalu baayam la donn.
Il a hérité des biens de son père.
alal+u (alal) ji -- property, fortune. 💰
baay+am (baay) bi -- dad (his). 👨👦
la -- he (?).
donn v. -- to inherit.
-
Maa ngiy waxtaan ak sama xarit.
Je parle avec mon ami.
(Note: it says "walking with" but should say "talking with" -- might've been fixed by the time you read this!)
maa -- me.
ngiy -- I am.
waxtaan v. -- conversation, chat, interview. 💬
ak -- and, with.
sama -- my.
xarit bi -- part of a split set; friend. 👯
-
Sér bi aju na ci caru garab gi.
Le pagne s'est accroché à la branche.
sér bi -- loincloth. 🩲
bi -- the.
aju v. -- hang on.
na -- (?).
ci -- close; at @, in, on, inside, to.
car+u (car) bi -- twig, branch. 🎋
garab gi -- tree 🌲, plant 🪴; medicine 💊, remedy.
gi -- the.
-
Ci taatu guy googu la jigéeni Ajoor yi di jaaye sanqal.
C'est sous ce baobab que les femmes originaires du Kayor vendent de la semoule de mil.
ci -- close; at @, in, on, inside, to.
taat+u (taat) wi -- base, bottom, foundation, buttocks.
guy gi -- baobab. 🌴
googu -- that (closeness).
la -- (?).
jigéen+i (jigéen) bi ji -- sister versus brother; woman as opposed to man. 👩🏽
ajoor bi -- person from Kayor.
yi -- the (plural).
di -- be; mark of the imperfective affirmative not inactual.
jaay+e (jaay) v. -- sell.
sanqal si -- millet semolina. 🌾
-
Faatu aj na laytanam.
Faatu a placé sa calebasse en haut.
faatu -- a feminine name of Arabic origin. 👩🏽
aj v. -- place on top 🔝, perch.
na -- her (?).
laytan+am (laytan) gi -- small calabash (to have).
-
Sama nijaay aj na ñaari yoon.
Mon oncle a effectué deux fois le pèlerinage à La Mecque.
sama -- my.
nijaay ji n. -- maternal uncle; term of reference and address to designate the husband, in conservative circles.
aj (Arabic) v. -- make the pilgrimage to Mecca. 🕋; deceased ☠️ (for a religious personality).
na -- he (?).
ñaar+i (ñaar) -- twice; two. 2️⃣
yoon wi n. -- lane, path, track 🛤; law, regulation, legislation; times.
-
Aju ren gi tàng na lool.
Le pèlerinage de cette année a été très pénible.
aj+u (aj) gi -- pilgrimage to Mecca. 🕋
ren ji -- current year; this year. 🗓
gi -- the.
tàng v. -- be hot 🥵; be cranky, be snappy 😡.
na -- has been (?).
lool adv. -- very, much, too much.
-
Abal ma sa téere!
Prêtre-moi ton livre!
abal v. -- lend to.
ma -- me.
sa -- your.
téere bi -- book. 📗
-
Peñe, kenn du ko able.
Un peigne, personne ne le prête.
peñe bi -- (French) comb.
kenn -- no one.
du -- to be (negative). ➖
ko -- it.
able v. -- to lend.
-
Xabaar bi agsi na démb.
La nouvelle est arrivée hier.
xabaar (Arabic) v. -- report (a new one).
bi -- the.
agsi v. -- to arrive, to arise.
na -- as (?).
démb ji -- the past; yesterday 📆, long ago.
-
Loolu sa afeer la.
C'est ton affaire.
loolu -- that.
sa -- your.
afeer bi -- (French: "affair") case.
la -- the (?).
-
Ab paaka la yore.
Il a un couteau sur lui.
ab -- a.
paaka bi -- (Portuguese) knife. 🔪
la -- he (?).
yore v. -- to have under his dependence, to have in his charge, to have in the hands.
-
VERB CONJUGATION
Indicative / Present
damay dem (I go)
dangay dem (you go) singular
dafay dem (he/she goes)
dañuy dem (we go)
dangeen dem (you go) plural
deñuy dem (they go)
Indicative / Imperfect
dama doon dem (I went)
danga doon dem (you went) singular
dafa doon dem (he/she went)
dañu doon dem (we went)
dangeen doon dem (you went) plural
deñu doon dem (they went)
Indicative / Pluperfect
demoon naa (I had gone)
demoon nga (you had gone) singular
demoon na (he/she had gone)
demoon nañu (we had gone)
demoon ngeen (you had gone) plural
demoon nañu (they had gone)
Indicative / Future
dinaa dem (I will go)
dinga dem (you will go) singular
dina dem (he/she will go)
dinañu dem (we will go)
dingeen dem (you will go) plural
dinañu dem (they will go)
Imperative / Active
demal (go!) singular
demleen (go!) plural
Negations
demumaa (I didn’t go)
demul (he/she didn’t go)
demunu (we didn’t go)
demuleen (you didn’t go)
demuñu (they didn’t go)
-
DEFINITE ARTICLES
bunta bi – the door
ganaar gi – the fowl
jigeen ji – the woman
nit ki – the person
nda li – the water pot
muus mi – the cat
suuf si – the earth
ween wi – the breast
xale yi – the children
nit ñi – the people
xale bi – the child (right here)
xale ba – the child (over there)
xale bu bon – the bad child (the child who is bad)
ndaw si – the girlfriend
ndaw li – the messenger
doom ji – the child
doom bi – the fruit
(definite article - indefinite article)
bi – ab
gi – ag
mi – am
si – as
wi – aw
yi – ay
-
BASIC GRAMMAR
Xále (boy) bi (the) Wolof (wolof). The boy is Wolof.
Jigéen (woman) ji (the) déf (be) féébar (sick). The woman is sick.
Xále (noun) bi (article) Wolof (noun). The boy is Wolof.
Jigéen (noun) ji (article) déf (verb) féébar (adjective). The woman is sick.
Xále bi (subject) Wolof (object). The boy is Wolof.
Jigéen ji (subject) déf (verb) féébar (object). The woman is sick.
-
PRONUNCIATION: CONSONANTS
b -- boy
c -- as in ‘church‘ with the tongue closer to the top front teeth.
d -- dog
f -- fire
g -- good
j -- as in ‘jazz’ but with the tongue closer to the top front teeth.
k -- cool
l -- land
m -- moon
n -- not
ñ -- as in ‘onion‘ with the tip of the tongue just behind the front teeth.
p -- park
q -- like a ‘k‘ pulled back into the throat.
r -- rat
s -- sign
t -- stamp
w -- war
x -- as in the Scottish pronunciation of 'loch'.
y -- your
-
PRONUNCIATION: VOWELS
a -- butter
à -- as in the British pronunciation of 'life'.
aa -- far
e -- bedroom
ee -- where
é -- big
éé -- sane
ë -- bird
i -- beetle
ii -- meet
o -- hot
ó -- as in the French pronunciation of ‘beau‘.
oo -- door
óó -- phone
u -- as in ‘book‘ with the lips more rounded.
uu -- moon
-
ALPHABET
a, à, ã, aa, b, bb, c, cc, d, dd, e, ee, é, ée, ë, ëe, f, g, gg, i, ii, j, jj, k, kk, l, ll, m, mm, mb, mp, n, nn, nc, nd, ng, nj, nk, nq, nt, ñ, ññ, ŋ, ŋŋ, o, oo, ó, óo, p, pp, q, r, rr, s, t, tt, u, uu, w, ww, x, y, yy
-
Please help improve these phrase breakdowns with any corrections, clarifications or with any extra information you would like to add in a reply.
If you would like to add your own annotations please do so but please try to follow the format that's already been established.
If you are here that means you have subscribed to this website so remember this is a community that we are all paying for the privilege to be a part of and to have access to these resources. So please keep that in mind if you edit or add anything here -- anything posted should be intended to make this section of the website better, more informative and useful.
Thanks!
-
Sëriñ boobu aj na daaw, doomam a ko wuutu léegi.
Ce marabout est décédé l'an dernier, c'est son fils qui le remplace maintenant.
sëriñ bi -- marabout.
boobu -- this.
aj (Arabic: Hajj) v. -- make the pilgrimage to Mecca. 🕋; deceased ☠️ (for a religious personality).
na -- he (?).
daaw n. -- last year. 🗓
doom+am (doom) ji -- child by descent 👶🏽; doll🪆; to have a child.
Tags
- talking
- taaw
- loolu
- I'm
- jàng
- loincloth
- prends
- soaked
- ñetti
- verses
- such
- naa
- humid
- fever
- be
- góor
- wolof
- du
- went
- under
- what
- dagg
- land
- house
- friend
- twice
- ab
- sangara
- branch
- fruit
- ñàkk
- top
- alkaati
- it
- mecca
- ñów
- dem
- me
- fellowship
- wet
- back
- janga
- boobu
- matches
- eldest
- moroom
- ajoor
- father's
- knife
- daaw
- replaces
- for
- sickness
- placed
- reen
- collect
- vaccine
- koran
- mën
- articles
- ji
- with
- caabi
- mespiliformis
- resist
- yore
- alxemes
- ubbi
- fined
- hate
- neighbor
- peñe
- pronunciation
- ndëmm
- yesterday
- di
- male
- into
- jàngale
- definite
- comrade
- grammar
- you'll
- sell
- fexe
- school
- next
- no
- afeer
- alkol
- kayor
- dinañu
- they
- that's
- noo
- taawan
- uncle
- fresh
- baayam
- ngiy
- tàng
- jàngal
- feexeel
- calabash
- semolina
- monday
- didn't
- fatou
- farmers
- year's
- jigéeni
- her
- peacekeeper
- caught
- ta
- search
- book
- home
- last
- take
- now
- cut
- lool
- yi
- wax
- thursday
- am
- surgical
- ak
- healer
- alamaan
- yoon
- gi
- painful
- make
- maa
- aloor
- séentuwul
- indefinite
- -i
- family
- news
- duñu
- ñuy
- my
- teach
- verb conjugation
- heard
- alphabet
- first
- taatu
- told
- year
- sàcc
- ma
- fine
- guy
- distant
- sanqal
- aju
- pilgrimage
- feebar
- sëriñ
- alcohol
- kër
- property
- expect
- fibar
- donn
- witchcraft
- bush
- go
- is
- has
- woon
- mi
- green
- you
- jaaye
- uninhabited
- support
- lends
- very
- refuse
- who
- ko
- child
- diospyros
- here
- sure
- inherited
- nee
- this
- thing
- comrades
- hung
- ñaari
- googu
- sama
- on
- seek
- children
- says
- made
- sér
- dina
- key
- copulate
- baobab
- women
- his
- that
- millet
- lekkool
- kenn
- tree
- are
- jàpp
- equal
- démb
- leave
- from
- -e
- man
- jiy
- bu
- garab
- ni
- -el
- vowels
- able
- taproot
- degg
- muy
- def
- clé
- ci
- nijaay
- tooy
- altine
- the
- ren
- died
- xarit
- fièvre
- learn
- him
- a
- faatu
- three
- recite
- how
- placenta
- reeni
- doomam
- léegi
- alalu
- he
- dinga
- as
- she
- then
- ànd
- shortage
- one
- field
- vaccinate
- will
- bañ
- doom
- dafa
- aloom
- amul
- comb
- ba
- business
- not
- lend
- beykat
- been
- la
- -an
- aj
- roots
- whatever
- waxtaan
- na
- alxuraan
- and
- abal
- xabaar
- pick up
- tool
- taught
- came
- to
- sa
- bi
- companion
- paaka
- there
- your
- do
- marabout
- caru
- of
- laytanam
- dagge
- almet
- I
- tari
- ebenacea
- together
- at
- consonants
- agsi
- thief
- wuutu
- so
- fori
- àll
- fey
- téere
- pay
- son
Annotators
URL
-