man

I (first-person singular subject pronoun)


buy

sweet drink made of this fruit by adding water, sugar, milk, and other ingredients


as

a small (singular diminutive indefinite article)


bind

damay bind (present)
dama doon bind (imperfect)
bindoon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa bind (future)
dangay bind (present)
danga doon bind (imperfect)
bindoon nga (pluperfect)
dinga bind (future)
dafay bind (present)
dafa doon bind (imperfect)
bindoon na (pluperfect)
dina bind (future)
dañuy bind (present)
dañu doon bind (imperfect)
bindoon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu bind (future)
dangeen bind (present)
dangeen doon bind (imperfect)
bindoon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen bind (future)
deñuy bind (present)
deñu doon bind (imperfect)
bindal! (imperative present singular)
bindleen! (imperative plural present)

Jàngalekat jaa ngiy bind.


won

damay won (present)
dama doon won (imperfect)
wonoon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa won (future)
dangay won (present)
danga doon won (imperfect)
wonoon nga (pluperfect)
dinga won (future)
dafay won (present)
dafa doon won (imperfect)
wonoon na (pluperfect)
dina won (future)
dañuy won (present)
dañu doon won (imperfect)
wonoon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu won (future)
dangeen won (present)
dangeen doon won (imperfect)
wonoon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen won (future)
deñuy won (present)
deñu doon won (imperfect)
wonal! (imperative present singular)
wonleen! (imperative plural present)


la

you (second-person singular object pronoun)


dem

damay dem (present)
dama doon dem (imperfect)
demoon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa dem (future)
dangay dem (present)
danga doon dem (imperfect)
demoon nga (pluperfect)
dinga dem (future)
dafay dem (present)
dafa doon dem (imperfect)
demoon na (pluperfect)
dina dem (future)
dañuy dem (present)
dañu doon dem (imperfect)
demoon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu dem (future)
dangeen dem (present)
dangeen doon dem (imperfect)
demoon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen dem (future)
deñuy dem (present)
deñu doon dem (imperfect)
demal! (imperative present singular)
demleen! (imperative plural present)


nun

we (first-person plural subject pronoun)


ko

him/her/it (third-person singular object pronoun)


ma

me (first-person singular object pronoun)


-in

dox (“to walk”) + -in → doxin (“gait, walk, stride”)

sol (“to put on a garment of clothing”) + -in → colin (“a manner of dressing”)


wert

damay wert (present)
dama doon wert (imperfect)
wertoon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa wert (future)
dangay wert (present)
danga doon wert (imperfect)
wertoon nga (pluperfect)
dinga wert (future)
dafay wert (present)
dafa doon wert (imperfect)
wertoon na (pluperfect)
dina wert (future)
dañuy wert (present)
dañu doon wert (imperfect)
wertoon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu wert (future)
dangeen wert (present)
dangeen doon wert (imperfect)
wertoon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen wert (future)
deñuy wert (present)
deñu doon wert (imperfect)
wertal! (imperative present singular)
wertleen! (imperative plural present)


nob

damay nob (present)
dama doon nob (imperfect)
noboon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa nob (future)
dangay nob (present)
danga doon nob (imperfect)
noboon nga (pluperfect)
dinga nob (future)
dafay nob (present)
dafa doon nob (imperfect)
noboon na (pluperfect)
dina nob (future)
dañuy nob (present)
dañu doon nob (imperfect)
noboon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu nob (future)
dangeen nob (present)
dangeen doon nob (imperfect)
noboon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen nob (future)
deñuy nob (present)
deñu doon nob (imperfect)
nobal! (imperative present singular)
nobleen! (imperative plural present)


naan

damay naan (present)
dama doon naan (imperfect)
naanoon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa naan (future)
dangay naan (present)
danga doon naan (imperfect)
naanoon nga (pluperfect)
dinga naan (future)
dafay naan (present)
dafa doon naan (imperfect)
naanoon na (pluperfect)
dina naan (future)
dañuy naan (present)
dañu doon naan (imperfect)
naanoon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu naan (future)
dangeen naan (present)
dangeen doon naan (imperfect)
naanoon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen naan (future)
deñuy naan (present)
deñu doon naan (imperfect)
naanal! (imperative present singular)
naanleen! (imperative plural present)


def

damay def (present)
dama doon def (imperfect)
defoon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa def (future)
dangay def (present)
danga doon def (imperfect)
defoon nga (pluperfect)
dinga def (future)
dafay def (present)
dafa doon def (imperfect)
defoon na (pluperfect)
dina def (future)
dañuy def (present)
dañu doon def (imperfect)
defoon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu def (future)
dangeen def (present)
dangeen doon def (imperfect)
defoon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen def (future)
deñuy def (present)
deñu doon def (imperfect)
defal! (imperative present singular)
defleen! (imperative plural present)


fey

Probably from Upper Guinea Creole, from a conflation of Portuguese pagar (“to pay”) and Portuguese apagar (“to extinguish, to turn off”). In that case cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole paga.


yow

you (second-person singular subject pronoun)


aar

to wash a piece of linen for the first time


koor

the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan


nar

damay nar (present)
dama doon nar (imperfect)
naroon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa nar (future)
dangay nar (present)
danga doon nar (imperfect)
naroon nga (pluperfect)
dinga nar (future)
dafay nar (present)
dafa doon nar (imperfect)
naroon na (pluperfect)
dina nar (future)
dañuy nar (present)
dañu doon nar (imperfect)
naroon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu nar (future)
dangeen nar (present)
dangeen doon nar (imperfect)
naroon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen nar (future)
deñuy nar (present)
deñu doon nar (imperfect)
naral! (imperative present singular)
narleen! (imperative plural present)


fii

Fii fan la?


banaana

Unknown, potentially from Arabic بَنَان (banān, “fingertip”).


naa

I (first person singular terminative pronoun)


kii

Kii kan la?


banjooli

Struthio camelus
Struthio camelus#Translingual


coof

A fish of the species Epinephelus aeneus.


inchaalaaxu

From Arabic إِن شَاء اَللّٰه (ʔin šāʔ allāh).

bor

إِن شَاء اَللّٰه

Arabic إِن شَاء اَللّٰه (ʔin šāʔ allāh)


alxamdulilaa

From Arabic اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ (al-ḥamdu li-llāhi, literally “praise [be] to God”).

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ

(Islam) alhamdulillah (praise be to God)


mungi

he, she, it (third person singular presentative pronoun)


taw

Cognate with Fula toɓo, Laalaa fetoɓ, Serer teƥ.


suq

young wrestler, who is often part of the entourage of older wrestlers,


jaam

a slave; someone belonging to the lowest tier of society


naka

Naka nga tudd?


nawet

shuttle (sliding thread holder in a sewing machine)


leen

you (second-person plural object pronoun)

them (third-person plural object pronoun)


soppi

By surface analysis, as if from sof + -i, soof + -i, or sopp + -i. The meanings seem unrelated, though.


xeer

Possibly cognate with Fula hayre (“stone”).


sabar

Probably from Wolof sab (“to sing, yell, resonate, chirp, echo”). Both possibly borrowed from Serer.

cog

a traditional drum used in Wolof and Serer music


liit

Cognate with Serer liit (“flute”), Fula liital (“flute”), Badyara ka-liit.

a woodwind instrument made of a reed, flute


coggal

Cognate with Badyara cokal. Probably both borrowed from Fula coggal.


xonq

→? English: honky


Tirki

Turkey (a country located in eastern Thrace in southeastern Europe and Anatolia in southwestern Asia)


paaka

From Upper Guinea Creole, from Portuguese faca. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole faka.


dibéer

dibéer · altine · talaata · àllarba · alxames · àjjuma · gaawu [edit]


altine

Borrowed from Arabic الْاِثْنَيْن (al-iṯnayn).

bor

الْاِثْنَيْن


talaata

Borrowed from Arabic ثَلَاثَاء (ṯalāṯāʔ).

الثَّلَاثَاء

Arabic ثَلَاثَاء (ṯalāṯāʔ)


àllarba

From Arabic اَلْأَرْبَعَاء (al-ʔarbaʕāʔ).

der

اَلْأَرْبَعَاء

Arabic اَلْأَرْبَعَاء (al-ʔarbaʕāʔ)


ݒ

The third letter of the Wolof in Arabic Script.


ݑ

The third letter of the Wolof in Arabic script.


ࢠ

The fourth letter of the Wolof in Arabic script.


ݕ

The fifth letter of the Wolof in Arabic script.


ݖ

The seventh letter of the Wolof in Arabic script.


caabi

From Upper Guinea Creole, from Portuguese chave. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole tcabi.


mbubb

→ French: boubou
→ English: boubou

boubou (type of robe worn by men in Senegal)


yeen

you (second-person plural subject pronoun)


ñoom

they (third-person plural subject pronoun)


moom

he/she/it (third-person singular subject pronoun)


-eel

Forms regular ordinal adjectives from cardinal numerals.

nob (“to love”) + -eel → nobeel (“love”)


mbaa

Placed at the beginning or end of a sentence to indicate a question where the speaker explicitly hopes for a positive answer.


xanaa

Placed at the beginning or end of a sentence to indicate a question where the speaker expects a positive answer.


ndax

Placed at the beginning of a sentence to indicate a question.


làkk

(transitive, intransitive) to speak a language other than Wolof


tëng

A female animal that has not produced offspring.


giléem

An old borrowing, likely from Tamahaq aɣlam (“young adult camel”).


mbaam-xuux

head

mbaam-xuux (definite form mbaam-xuux mi)


xojox

Gambian sun squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus)


kancóoli

Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)


Korwaasi

Balkan Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula#English

Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe#English

Croatia (a country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)


pàppaaya

From French papaye and Spanish papaya, cognate with Arawak papáia.


pampëlëmuus

pampëlëmuus (definite form pampëlëmuus bi)


xaalu tubaab

xaalu tubaab (definite form xaalu tubaab bi)


areen

Cognate with Laalaa ërin, Serer a'aareer.


kaani-salaat

kaani-salaat (definite form kaani-salaat gi)


aaju

to be necessary to, to be worth the trouble to


ñeeño

A "casted person"; someone who belongs to the middle tier of society, mostly artisans.


géer

A "noble"; someone who belongs to the highest tier in society.


daje

to meet (each other), come together, gather


dinga

you (future) (second person singular terminative pronoun)


saabu

bor

Arabic صَابُون (ṣābūn)


pàppaay

From French papaye and Spanish papaya, cognate with Arawak papáia


jamano

From Arabic زَمَن (zaman) or زَمَان (zamān).


seytaane

Arabic شَيْطَان (šayṭān)


jàngalekat

head

jàngalekat (definite form jàngalekat bi)


boroom njabot

Coordinate term: boroom kër

head of the children, in reference to a mother figure.


njabot

Coordinate term: doom

children, said in relation to the mother


jëkkër

Coordinate term: jabar


Bawol-Bawol

Someone from the Baol region in central Senegal


Jolof-Jolof

Someone from the Jolof region of Senegambia


Waalo-Waalo

Someone from the Waalo region of Senegal


Saalum-Saalum

Someone from the Saloum region in central Senegal


Siin-Siin

Someone from the Siin region of Senegal.


Ndar-Ndar

Someone from Saint-Louis, Senegal (known in Wolof as Ndar)


Kajoor-Kajoor

Someone from the Cayor region, spelled Kajoor in Wolof.


juddu

From jur (“to father, to give birth to”) + -u (“reflexive/mediopassive suffix”), with unexpected consonant mutation from r to dd.


maangi

I (first person singular perfect presentative pronoun)


yaangi

you (second person singular perfect presentative pronoun)


dinaa

I (future) (first person singular terminative pronoun)


dajale

From daje + -al. The suffix -e, already present in the base verb, regularly follows the added suffix -al, resulting in the compound suffix -ale.


ñungi

they (third person plural, perfect presentative pronoun)


nungi

We (First person plural, perfect presentative pronoun)


maangiy

I (First person singular, imperfect presentative pronoun)


yaangiy

You (second person singular, imperfect presentative pronoun)


mungiy

He, She, it (third person singular, imperfect presentative pronoun)


nungiy

We (First person plural, imperfect presentative pronoun)


ñungiy

they (third person plural, imperfect presentative pronoun)


yaasa

A Senegalese dish made of rice, a lemon sauce and onions, along with grilled meat


Yàlla

Yàlla Yàlla (canonical)
form Yàlla ji (definite)

Borrowed from Arabic يَا اللّٰه (yā allāh, “Oh God”). The vocative meaning was lost.


-andoo

Adds the meaning of “together” when suffixed to verbs.


soppali

From soppi + -al. The suffix -i, already present in the base verb, regularly follows the added suffix -al, resulting in the compound suffix -ali.


jàngale

From jàngal + -e, the former itself from jàng + -al, resulting in the compound suffix -ale.

(transitive, intransitive) to teach (sth)

(ditransitive, transitive, intransitive) to teach (sb sth) at a specific place, in a specific manner, or with a specific instrument


jàngal

(ditransitive, transitive) to teach sb (sth)


jàng

(transitive, intransitive) to learn (sth)

(transitive, intransitive) to read (sth)


-kat

napp (“to fish”) + -kat → nappkat (“fisherman”)


ñaw

(transitive, intransitive) to tailor (sth)


turandoo

namesake, the person who a child is named after


tàngaay

From tàng (“to be hot”) + -aay (“abstract noun suffix”).


kooraa

Probably from a Mande language. Compare Bambara kɔ́ra.

the Kora, a lute or harp-like musical instrument of western Africa


Almaañ

Germany (a country in Central Europe, formed in 1949 as West Germany, with its provisional capital Bonn until 1990, when it incorporated East Germany)


miimara

From mīm (Arabic) in the shape of rāʾ (Arabic).


Lislaam

Uncertain, either from French l’Islam” or Arabic al-ʾIslām (إسلام)


soow

Cognate with Fula kosam (“milk”), Serer fosoow.


riiti

Borrowed from Fula riiti, possibly through Serer riiti.

a one or two-stringed viol used in Fula traditional music, goje


junjuŋ

the junjung, a traditional ceremonial drum used by Serer people


jënd

damay jënd (present)
dama doon jënd (imperfect)
jëndoon naa (pluperfect)
dinaa jënd (future)
dangay jënd (present)
danga doon jënd (imperfect)
jëndoon nga (pluperfect)
dinga jënd (future)
dafay jënd (present)
dafa doon jënd (imperfect)
jëndoon na (pluperfect)
dina jënd (future)
dañuy jënd (present)
dañu doon jënd (imperfect)
jëndoon nañu (pluperfect)
dinañu jënd (future)
dangeen jënd (present)
dangeen doon jënd (imperfect)
jëndoon ngeen (pluperfect)
dingeen jënd (future)
deñuy jënd (present)
deñu doon jënd (imperfect)
jëndal! (imperative present singular)
jëndleen! (imperative plural present)


jiit

a yellow or brown scorpion (Buthidae spp.)


jombos

Cucurbita pepo
Cucurbita pepo#Translingual


kaabaab

Cognate with Fula waɓɓugo, Serer kaaɓ, Laalaa kaaɓ, Saafi-Saafi kaɓaɓki.


saaka

crevalle jack, horse crevalle (Caranx hippos)


-aay

rafet (“to be beautiful”) + -aay → rafetaay (“beauty”)

tàng (“to be hot”) + -aay → tàngaay (“heat”)


dinanu

I (future) (first person plural terminative pronoun)


ngeen

you (perfect) (second person plural terminative pronoun)


dingeen

you (future) (second person plural terminative pronoun)


nañu

he/she (perfect) (second person plural terminative pronoun)


dinañu

he/she (future) (second person plural terminative pronoun)