Languages of Senegal
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Senegal is a multilingual country - Ethnologue lists 36 languages
French, which was inherited from the colonial era, is the official language of Senegal. Several of the Senegalese languages have the status of "national languages": Jola; Mandinka; Pulaar; Serer; Soninke; and Wolof. It is still used by the ruling elite, more or less understood by about 15% - 20% of all males and about 1%-2% of all women.
In terms of usage, Wolof is the most widely spoken language in Senegal, as a first or second language (80%). Wolof is related to Fula (Pulaar), which is also spoken by a large part of the population.
Mande languages spoken include Soninke, and Mandinka. Jola (Diola) is a main language in the Casamance region.
A strong move in favor of French by the two single dictators which have ruled Senegal since its formal independence in 1960 has not resulted in any decrease in illiteracy rates, nor countered the growing prevalence of English.
[edit] External links
- Ethnologue page on Senegal
- PanAfrican L10n page on Senegal
- Linguistic situation in Sengal (In French)
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