|
|
|
Bambara language resources
Bambara is spoken on a daily basis in: Mali
Bambara-->
-->
-->
-->
Additional background on
Bambara
Bambara, also known as Bamanankan in the language itself, is a language spoken in Mali by as many as six million people (including second language users). The differences between Bambara and Dioula are minimal. Dioula is a language spoken or understood, by fewer numbers of people, in Burkina Faso, C�te d'Ivoire, and Gambia. The Bambara language is primarily spoken by members of the Bambara ethnic group, numbering about 2,700,000 people, but serves also as an interethnic language of Mali.
Bambara belongs to a group of closely-related languages called Manding, within the larger Mand� group. It is an SOV language and has two tones. It uses seven vowels a, e, ?, i, o, ? and u (the letters approximate their IPA equivalents). Writing was introduced during the French occupation and alphabetisation is a major issue especially in rural areas. Although written literature is only slowly evolving (due to the predominance of French as the "language of the educated"), there exists a wealth of oral literature, which is often tales of kings and heroes. This oral literature is mainly tradited by the "Griot" who are a mixture of storytellers, partysingers and human history books who have studied the trade of singing and reciting for many years. Many of their songs are very old and are said to date back to the old kingdom of Mali. Bambara is a national language of Mali, and also the most widely understood language in Mali.
Bambara has many local dialects. Some dialect variants: Somono, Segou, San, Beledugu, Ganadugu, Wasulu and Sikasso.
Bambara
What are the most spoken languages on earth?
All data is derived from UNESCO.
|
|
Home
About
Contribute
Contact
Languages
Most spoken
By country
People
African
Asian
North American
Pacific
South American
Rainforests
Mission
Introduction
Characteristics
Biodiversity
The Canopy
Forest Floor
Forest Waters
Indigenous People
Deforestation
Consequences
Saving Rainforests
Country Profiles
Works Cited
Deforestation Stats
Pictures
Books
For kids
Tropical fish
|
|
