Languages of Senegal
Languages of Senegal | |
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Francophone African Sign Language | |
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Senegal is a multilingual country: Ethnologue lists 36 languages, Wolof being the most widely spoken language.
French, which was inherited from the colonial era, is used by the administration and understood by about 15–20% of all men and about 1–2% of all women.[1] Senegal is a member State of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. A Senegalese, Abdou Diouf, held the position of its Executive Secretary between 2003 and 2014.
Several of the Senegalese languages have the status of "
.In terms of usage, Wolof is the lingua franca and the most widely spoken language in Senegal, as a first or second language (80%).[2]
Education for the deaf in Senegal uses American Sign Language, introduced by the deaf American missionary Andrew Foster. A local language is Mbour Sign Language.
A report for the High Council of Francophonie in Paris stated in 1986 that in Senegal, 60,000 people spoke French as a first language and 700,000 spoke French as a second language. The total population of Senegal at the time was 6,500,000.[3]
Languages taught at school
French is a mandatory school subject, as it is the official language of Senegal. English is taught as a subject in secondary school across the country.[4][5]
Languages
- Arabic
- American Sign Language
- Badyara
- Banyum
- Balanta
- Bandial
- Bassari
- Bayot
- Bedik
- Guinea-Bissau Creole (Casamance Creole dialect)
- French
- Fula
- Gusilay
- Hassaniya Arabic
- Jola-Felupe
- Jola-Fonyi
- Kasa
- Karon
- Kassonke
- Kobiana
- Kwatay
- Laalaa
- Mandinka
- Manjak
- Maninka
- Mankanya
- Mbouti Sign Language
- Mlomp
- Ndut
- Nko
- Noon
- Palor
- Pulaar
- Pular
- Safen
- Serer
- Soninke
- Wamey
- Wolof
- Yalunka
References
- ^ Jacques Leclerc (2010-10-04). "Sénégal". Trésor de la langue française au Québec. Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
- ^ Pariona, Amber (27 September 2017). "What Languages Are Spoken in Senegal?". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ Meisler, Stanley. "Seduction Still Works : French--a Language in Decline." Los Angeles Times. March 1, 1986. Retrieved on May 18, 2013.
- ^ "Young Senegalese Turn to English".
- ^ "The Warwick Elt". 31 December 2016.
Further reading
- Dumont, Pierre (1982). Le français et les langues africaines au Sénégal. Paris: AACT and Karthala.
External links
- Linguistic map of Senegal at Muturzikin.com
- Local language resources from Peace Corps Senegal
- Ethnologue page on Senegal
- PanAfrican L10n page on Senegal
- Linguistic situation in Senegal (In French)