Wolof (Wollof)

Wolof is a Niger-Congo language with about 7 million speakers in Senegal, France, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania. Wolof is one of the six national languages of Senegal (Senegaal / سِنِڭَالْ), along with Serer, Mandinka, Pulaar, Diola and Soninke.

Wolof was first written with a version of the Arabic script known as Wolofal, which is still used by many older men in Senegal. The Wolof orthography using the Latin alphabet was standardised in 1974 and is the official script for Wolof in Senegal.

Wolof is also sometimes written with an alphabet devised by Assane Faye, a Senegalese artist, in 1961. This alphabet is written from right to left and is modelled loosely on the Arabic script.

Latin alphabet for Wolof

Wolof (Latin) alphabet
A a	B b	C c	D d	E e	Ë ë	F f	G g	I i
J j	K k	L l	M m	N n	Ñ ñ	Ŋ ŋ	O o	P p
Q q	R r	S s	T t	U u	W w	X x	Y y

Wolof pronunciation

Doubled consonants are pronunced with long versions of the sounds above.

Wolofal (Arabic script for Wolof)

Assane Faye's Wolof alphabet

The order of the letters and their transcription is based on the Wolof alphabet chart in Afrikan Alphabets by Saki Mafundikwa. Each consonant has two forms, though how these are used is not explained.

Sample text in Wolof

Doomi aadama yépp danuy juddu, yam ci tawfeex ci sag ak sañ-sañ. Nekk na it ku xam dëgg te ànd na ak xelam, te war naa jëflante ak nawleen, te teg ko ci wàllu mbokk.

A recording of this text by Wally Seye

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Tower of Babel in Wolof | Useful phrases in Wolof

Language courses for Wolof (en français)