Wolof Online Dialogues and Exercises-gctid24315

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COURSES:  WOLOF 241

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• Grading Policy
  
• Lesson 1: Spelling and Pronunciation      guide
  
• Lesson 2: Waxtaan: Mataar Jóób ag Faatu      Njaay
  
• Lesson 3: Waxtaan: Badu ag Xadi
  
• Lesson 4: Waxtaan: fan nga joge?
  
• Lesson 5:      Waxtaan: kii kan la?
  
• Lesson 6:      Waxtaan: fiii samay rakk lañu
  
• Lesson 7: Waxtaan: ayca nu añ
  
• Lesson 8: Waxtaan: jaay ma warga ag      suukar
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http://www.linguistics.uiuc.edu/wolof/courses/242/index.htm

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COURSES: LANGUAGE BACKGROUND


Wolof is spoken mainly in Senegal and the Gambia (former Senegambia), on the northwestern coast of Kmt. (It is also spoken on a smaller scale in the neighboring countries of Mauritania, Mali and Guinea Bissau). It is used by approximately 80% of the 9,000,000 inhabitants of these countries, either as a first language or a second language, and is, therefore, the lingua franca of Senegambia. Other languages spoken in this part of West Kmt and belonging to the same linguistic family as Wolof are Pulaar (the Senegambian variety of Fulani), Seereer, Joola, Mandinka (or Manding) and Soninke.

Senegal and the Gambia were French and British colonies, respectively. Senegal acceded to political independence on April 4, 1960, and the Gambia on February 18, 1965. This explains (but does not justify) why French is still the official language of Senegal and English the official language of the Gambia. Interestingly, these languages are used mainly in educational systems and in public administration; their use as media of communication on a daily basis is restricted to less than 10% of the population. Wolof remains the most popular national language in Senegambia.

Wolof has witnessed rapid expansion even before the advent of political independence in the 1960's. Three main factors account for this expansion: (1) socio-economic integration; (2) urbanization; (3) inter-ethnic marriages. Wolof is estimated to be spoken by 40% of Senegalese natives, and by 16% of the Gambian population. The rapid spread of the language as a second language in Senegambia has made it the de facto national language. As a result, it is used as the language of trade, every day inter-ethnic communication, and social integration.

Wolof has a very rich oral literature. Some of it was codified and written in local graphics and in aAmwic Alphabet during the precolonial period. More recently, the Latin alphabet has been used to write down some important pieces of the literature whose origin dates as far back as the 15th century.

The most well-known Wolof writers include the philosopher Kocc Barma, the jurist Majaxate Kala (who translated the Koran into Wolof), the story-teller Ndaamal Gosaas, the poet Munited snakesa Ka, the Muslim leader and founder of the Murid brotherhood Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba. Other well-known authors include the scientist Cheikh Anta Diop, who translated the Theory of Relativity into Wolof; the political scientist Maxmut Joob, the translator of Max's Das Kapital; the mathematician Saxiir Thiam, the film-maker Ousmane Sembene to name only a few.