Tag Archives: Vocabulary

Wolof Vocabulary: Meat

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beef - yarpe-nack
chicken - yarpe-ganarre
goat - yarpe-baiy
hamburger - hamburger
lamb - yarpe-harre
meat - yarpa
pork - yarpe-mbam
shrimp - cepa-cepa

 

Source: Wolof Dictionary & Phrasebook, Nyima Kantorek.

Wolof Vocabulary: Pronouns

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I – maan
me – ma
my – suma
mine – suma
you – yow
your – seen
yours – seen
he - ñoom
she –  ñoom
it – ñoom
him – ñoom
her – ñoom
his – ñoom
hers – ñoom
its – ñoom
their – ñoom
theirs – ñoom

Moom It Dina Ñow (Phrase Breakdown)

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moom it dina ñow – he also will come

moom – in this sence means ‘he/she‘ (emphatic form) but can also mean ‘to own‘.
it/itam – also (as a suffix ‘-it‘ indicates ‘again‘; it can also be a suffix for the result of an action – added to a verb root. Ex. damma ‘to break‘. dammit ‘pieces‘).
dina – (di + na); di indicates a future action “he will“; di + noun makes a positive statement (he is, etc.); di as a prefix to -oon (doon) = past completed, -aan (daan) = past habitual
ñow – to come/arrive; can also mean ‘to be sharp‘ (sometimes written as ñaw)

Definitions from David P. Gamble’s Gambian Wolof-English Dictionary 1990. I don’t think this book has ever been professionally published. My copy is a typed (typwriter NOT computer) photocopy with hand-written diacritical marks in a three-ringed binder. You may be able to find a copy at your local university.

French Vocabulary – E & F

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Vocabulaire Français – E & F

economics économie
education éducation
electricity électricité
english anglais
especially surtout
euphemism euphémisme
familiar familier
feminine féminin
figurative figuré
finance finance
formal formel

French Vocabulary – A

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Vocabulaire Français – A

abbreviations abréviations
adjective adjectif
adverb adverbe
agriculture agriculture
anatomy anatomie
and et
architecture architecture
astrology astrologie
astronomy astronomie
attributive devant le nom
auxiliary auxiliare
aviation aviation

A Words

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Gambian Wolof…

aifaare – pagan
aik – climb
aikerty – lift/elevate
ailake – tomorrow
aina – mold
ainay – wish
alcarly – village leader
alfun – million
alheames – thursday
almet – match
almorre – cupboard
altineh – monday
am – have
amna – there is/is there
anndah – incense burner
antal – able
arba – lend
arbalanteh – share
arca – confront
arch – hang

10 More Random Wolof Words

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Courtesy of Firicat.com.

  1. jula, , trader, peddler of foods, to trade
  2. teret, n , trading season
  3. daaj, , to nail (see pontu)
  4. digal, , to advise, caution, instruct
  5. jaaj, , large mound of cous in field
  6. garaw, , danger
  7. faas, , beard
  8. mbóótaay, n , to be last
  9. raakaaju, adj. , to get mad , be crazy
  10. gaanga, , wishing for s/o to go away

See original list.

10 Random Wolof Words

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Courtesy of Firicat.com.

  1. lef, n , thing
  2. naju, adj. , be compressed
  3. téng, , tight
  4. baatale, verb , to leave a message with someone for somebody
  5. set, , clean
  6. goox, v , to hold liquid ones mouth
  7. delēne, , cluster of stars
  8. folé, , elastic
  9. loolu, dem adj. , that thing (over there)
  10. Angalteer, n , England

Travel Vocabulary III

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See Travel Vocabulary II

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Here are a few things that you may come across if traveling to Senegal or the Gambia.

auberge – hostel or small hotel

balafon – wooden xylophone typically played by griots

calèche – horse-drawn cart used to carry goods and people, particularly in the rural regions of Senegal

dibiterie – grilled-meat stall

fête – festival (Senegal)

gargotte – basic eating house or stall (Senegal)

IMF – International Monetary Fund

kora – 21-string harp-lute

maison de passage – very basic place to sleep, often near bus stations; with a bed or mat on the floor and little else, and nearly always doubling as a brothel; also called chambres de passage

Ndiaga Ndiaye – white Mercedes bus, used as public transport; also called alham (Senegal)

pagne – length of cloth worn around the waist as a skirt (Senegal)

quartier – area

sabar – tall, thin, hourglass drum

taxi-brousse – bush taxi (Senegal)

village artisanal – craft market (Senegal)

zouk – style of music, originally from Guadeloupe, that mixes African and Latin-American rhythms

Thanks to Lonely Planet’s The Gambia & Senegal; 3rd Edition.

Travel Vocabulary II

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See Travel Vocabulary I

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Here are a few things that you may come across if traveling to Senegal or the Gambia.

alham – white Mercedes bus, also called N’Diaga N’Diaye in Dakar

beignet – simple deep-fried donut (Senegal)

calesh – horse-drawn taxi usually seating about three people behind the driver

demi-pension – half board (dinner, bed and breakfast) (Senegal)

essence – petrol (gas) for car (Senegal)

fanals – large lanterns; also the processions during which the lanterns are carried through the streets

gare routière – bus and bush-taxi station, (also called autogare and gare voiture) (Senegal)

hôtel de ville – town hall (Senegal)

in sha’ Allah – God willing, ie, hopefully (Arabic, but used by Muslims in Africa)

lumo - weekly market, usually in border areas

mairie – town hall; mayor’s office (Senegal)

paletuviers – mangroves (Senegal)

quatre-quatre – four-wheel-drive car (4WD or 4×4)

riz yollof – vegetables and/or meat cooked in a sauce of oil and tomatoes

Senegambia – the region of Senegal and Gambia

tampon hygiénique – tampon (also tampon periodique and serviette hygiénique) (Senegal)

yassa poulet – grilled chicken marinated in an onion-and-lemon sauce (Senegal)

Thanks to Lonely Planet’s The Gambia & Senegal; 2nd Edition.

New Opposites List

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New List Thanks To Tubaab bu jigeen
See The Original List & Comments Here “Opposites Attract”
     
beginning – ending (verb): door/tammbali – jeex/mujj

cheap – expensive: yomb – jafe

easy – difficult: jomb – jafe

friend – enemy: xarit – noon

happy – unhappy: beg – tiis

inside – outside: ci biir – ci biti

enter – get out: duggu – genn

left – right: cammoň – ndeyjoor

near – far: jege – sori

open – close (verb): ubbi – téjj

peace – war: jamm – xare
 

Opposites Attract

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beginning – end dohre – jehh/rach
cheap – expensive yormba – sehre
easy – difficult yormba – nahary
friend – enemy harit – mbargne
happy – unhappy contarn – mehr
in – out duga – gayna
left – right charmorgne – ndeyjohre
near – far jeague – sory
open – close oube – tayche
peace – war jarma – hareh
question – answer larch – torntu
safety – danger moitu – haiy
tall – short gouda – garta
up – down kow – shoofe
wide – narrow yartu – hertt

All In the Family

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family – njabort

grandfather – marm-bu-gore
grandmother – marm-bu-gegain

father – papa
mother – yarboie

husband – jaycahre
wife – jabahre
son – dorm-bu-gore
daughter – dorm-bu-gegain

older brother – maq-bu-gore
younger brother – raca-bu-gore

older sister – maq-bu-gegain
younger sister – raca-bu-gegain

Some Mandinka

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The Mandinka language, sometimes referred to as Mandingo, is a Mandé language spoken by millions of Mandinka people in Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea-Bissau; it is the main language of The Gambia. It belongs to the Manding branch of Mandé, and is thus fairly similar to Bambara and Maninka or Malinké. It is a tonal language with two tones: low and high.

baadaa – beach

daa – price

kambaanoo – boy

londoo – education

mansaaloo – proverb

hidiki – hiccup

saatee – village

taabuloo – table

Try this fun Mandinka Word Search.

A Couple Slang Words…

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Sai Sai -

“That little crafty one.” (Euphemism given to AIDS in the poor suburbs of Dakar, Senegal.) Also means bad person, “playa”, pimp, crooked business person, etc. Used for men & women. Can be like an insult or badge of pride.

Bin Bins -

A string of beads worn on an elastic string. Senegalese girls typically wear them just beneath the top of their pants or skirts, or sometimes just above. It is considered flirtatious, or even slightly erotic to show one’s bin-bins, particularly to a guy. And if a guy gives a girl a set of bin-bins, it’s pretty clear what that means!

Travel Vocabulary

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Here are a few things that you may come across if traveling to Senegal or the Gambia.

afra – grilled meat, or grilled meat stall (Gambia)

benechin – rice baked in a thick sauce of fish and vegetables (Gambia)

cadeau – gift, tip, bribe or a hand-out (Senegal)

dash – bribe (noun); also used as a verb ‘You dash me something …’ (Gambia)

Ecowas – Economic Community of West African States

factory – fortified slaving station

garage – bus and bush-taxi station (Gambia)

harmattan – the light winds from the north which carry tiny particles of sand from the desert, causing skies to become hazy from December to February

IMF – International Monetary Fund

latcheri - pounded millet

mafé – thick brown groundnut sauce

ndeup – ceremonies where people with a mental illness are treated and healed (Senegal)

occasion – lift (noun), or place in a car or bus (often shortened to occas) (Senegal)

palava – meeting place

Quran – Islamic holy book (also called Koran)

Ramsar – an international convention primarily concerned with the conservation of wetland habitats and associated wildlife

salon du thé – tea shop (Senegal)

tampon – stamp (eg, in passport) (Senegal)

ventilé – room with a fan (Senegal)

Thanks to Lonely Planet’s The Gambia & Senegal; 2nd Edition.