Neha Patil (Editor)

Jola languages

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Subdivisions:
  
Bayot Jola proper

Geographic distribution:
  
The Gambia, Senegal (esp. Casamance) and Guinea-Bissau

Linguistic classification:
  
Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Bak–Bijago Bak proper Jola–Papel Jola

Glottolog:
  
nucl1345  (Nuclear Jola) bayo1255  (Bayot)

Jola or Diola is a dialect continuum spoken in Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. It belongs to the Bak branch of the Niger–Congo language family.

Contents

Languages

The primary branches of Jola proper and to some extent Central Jola are not mutually intelligible. The main varieties are:

  • Bayot
  • Jola proper
  • Central Jola
  • Jola-Fonyi (Kujamatay), spoken around Bignona. The official standard.
  • Bandial, spoken in a small area south of the Casamance River.
  • Gusilay, spoken in the village of Thionck Essyl.
  • Jola-Felupe (Ediamat), spoken in a handful of villages south of Oussouye in Oussouye Department. Kerak may be a dialect.
  • (Jola) Kasa, spoken around Oussouye.
  • Kwatay (Kuwaataay), spoken along the coast south of the Casamance River.
  • Karon–Mlomp
  • Karon, spoken along the coast of Casamance south of Diouloulou.

    • Bayot

    Bayot, spoken around Ziguinchor, is grammatically Jola apart from a non-Jola pronominal system, but maybe half its vocabulary is non-Jola and even non-Atlantic. It may therefore be a language isolate with substantial Jola borrowing (relexification). In any case it is clearly distinct from (other) Jola languages.

    References

    Jola languages Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA