Wolof language
A non-tonal Niger–Congo language widely spoken in Senegambia.
Wolof is a Niger–Congo language spoken by the Wolof people in much of the West African subregion of Senegambia, split between Senegal, the Gambia, and Mauritania. It is the most widely spoken language in Senegal, used natively by about 40% of the population and as a second language by most other Senegalese, and it belongs to the Senegambian branch of the Niger–Congo language family.
- language_family
- Niger–Congo, Senegambian
- native_speakers
- 8.2 million in Senegal (40% of population)
- total_speakers
- 18 million
- official_status
- National language in Senegal (official language is French)
- dialects
- Senegalese/Mauritanian Wolof, Gambian Wolof, Lebu Wolof, Urban Wolof
- writing_systems
- Latin alphabet (official), Arabic-based Wolofal, Garay script
Lore & Background
Wolof is spoken by 18 million people, with about 8.2 million native speakers in Senegal. It is the most widely spoken language in Senegal, and in the Gambia, about 20–25% of the population speak it as a first language, with 75% of Banjul's population using it as a first language. Unlike most sub-Saharan African languages, Wolof has no tones, a characteristic it shares with Amharic, Swahili, and Fula.
Reader's Guide
Wolof serves as a lingua franca in Senegal, used in cities and towns across ethnic groups, and its influence extends into the Gambia and Mauritania. The language has distinct national standards: Senegalese/Mauritanian Wolof uses French for technical loanwords, while Gambian Wolof uses English. Urban Wolof, a dynamic contact-based variety integrating Wolof, French, and other languages, has developed in major urban centers like Dakar and circulates within the diaspora in Europe and North America. Wolof has contributed loanwords to English, such as 'banana' and 'nyam' (meaning 'to eat' in Caribbean English Creoles).
Did You Know?
- Wolof is not a tonal language, unlike most other sub-Saharan African languages.
- The English word 'banana' is believed to be a Wolof loanword, adopted via Spanish or Portuguese.
- Lebu Wolof is incomprehensible to standard Wolof speakers, though all Lebu speakers are bilingual in standard Wolof.
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