Course Vocab

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Unit 1

Greetings

i: you
álu: you (plural)
I/álu (ni) sɔɔma: Good morning
I/álu ni tele: Good day
I/álu ni wura: Good afternoon
I/álu ni su: Good evening
Nba: male greeting response
Nse: female greeting response
I/álu ni baara: Hi (to someone working)
I/álu ni fama: "It's been a long time"
I/álu ni tunun: "I haven't seen you in a while"
I/álu ni taama: You and travel
I/álu ni lɔɔ: You and the market
I/álu ni sɛnɛ: Welcome
I/álu dansɛ: Welcome [Jula]
I/álu ni ke: "thanks"; "hi"

Greetings Extended

Tana ma si?: You passed the night without an ill?
Tana ma telen?: You passed the day without an ill?
Tana tɛ X la?: Is there not an ill upon X?
i: you
kɛ: man; husband
moso: woman; wife
mɔɔ: person; people
i la mɔɔ: "your people"
fa: father
na: mother
denbaya: (nuclear) family
dennɛnnu: children (lit. 'little children')
dennɛn/dennin: child (lit. 'little kid')
den: kid
dennu: kids
teri: friend
X-kalu: people from X
X-ka: person from X
Tana tɛ X?: Is there not at an ill (at) X?
... i bada: ... at your place
... lu ma: ... in the courtyard (e.g., 'at home')
... yen: ... there
... yan: here
Tana si tɛ.: There isn't any ill.
Tana tɛ.: There isn't an ill
Alatando!: Praise be to God! (as in, 'All is well')
X ka kɛndɛ: X is healthy
Hɛrɛ dɔrɔn!: Peace only!
hɛrɛ/hɛɛrɛ/hɛra: peace
Tana (si) tɛ X la: There isn't (no) ill upon X
X ye yen: X is there (as in, 'X is doing well')
n/ne/nde: I
i/ile: you
à: he/she/it
an: we
álu: you all; you guys
àlu: they
Hɛrɛ sida (ba)?: You passed the night in peace?
Hɛrɛ tilenda (ba)?: Have you passed the day in peace?
X ka kɛndɛ?: Is X healthy?
X ye di?: How is X?
X don?: And X? (How are they?)
Ile don?: And you?
I jɛdɛ don?: And yourself?
Tana tɛ?: Is there not an ill?
àlu: they

Goodbyes & Benedictions

An bɛn!: Goodbye!
K'an bɛn!: Goodbye! [possible Bambara variant]
An bɛn [...]: See you [...] (Lit. "May God unite us [...]")
kɔfɛ: later; afterwards [one word]
kɔ la: later; afterwards [two words]
sinin: tomorrow
bi: today
An bɛn dɔɔnin: See you in a bit
An bɛn sɔɔma!: See you in the morning!
An bɛn tele dɔ!: See you in the midday!
An bɛn wura la!: See you in the afternoon!
An bɛn su dɔ!: See you in the evening!
Ala ye ...: May (God) ...
Ka ...: (May God) ...
Ala ye tele/su hɛrɛ siyaya!: Have a nice day/night! (lit. "May God make the day/night's peace abundant)
Ka wura nɔɔya!: May God make the afternoon easy!
Ala y'an si!: May God have us pass the night!
Ka su kayira!: May God make the night peaceful!
K'an kelen kelen kunun/wili!: "May we wake/rise one-by-one!" [as opposed to all at once when there's an emergency]
Ka duu ɲuman gbɛ!: "May the day break peacefully!" (as in, 'May we have a good night!')
amiina: amen
duwau/dugawu/duga/duba: benediction; blessing
Ala ye duwau mina/mida!: May God fulfill the benediction!
Ala ye sila diya!: "Safe travels!" ('May God make the road pleasing')
Ala ye lɔɔ diya!: "Have a nice market!" ('May God make the market pleasing')
Ala ye bi diya!: "May God make today pleasing!"
Ko an ye X fola!: Say that we greet X!
I ye X fola n ye!: Greet X for me!
X di à mɛn: X will hear it
Ala ye nɔɔya kɛ!: Feel better / Get well soon (lit. 'May God do easing') [When someone is sick]
Ala y'i sɔn!: May God provide for you! [Said to a beggar to wish them well]
Ala ye den balo!: May God nourish the child! [Said especially to someone with a newborn or young child]
Ala y'à kɛ fudu di!: May God make it a marriage! [Said to wish someone a happy marriage]
Ala y'i sada!: May God repay you! [Said to thank someone for a good deed]

Introductions

tɔɔ: (first) name
jamu: last name
si: last name (lit. 'race; kind'; type')
I tɔɔ di?: What's your (first) name?
Jamu diman/duman?: (And your) good last name (what is it)?
I si?: Your last name? (Lit. "Your kind?")
N tɔɔ (le) X: My first name is X
N [X]: I am a [last name]
I tɔɔ/jamu (don)?: (And) your first/last name [is]?
Nin tɔɔ di?: What is this thing's name?
X tɔɔ di?: What's X's (first) name?
X jamu/si?: What's X's last name?

Essential Expressions

ɔnhɔn: yes
ɔwɔ/awɔ: yes (Bambara style)
ɔn-ɔn: no
ayi: no (Bambara style)
ayiwa / awa: ok; alright
Ko di?: Come again?
Hakɛto: Excuse me
N m'à faamun: I don't understand
N bada à faamun: I understand
N m'à lɔn: I don't know
X ye fɔla (ɲa) di?: How do you say X?
X kɔdɔ ko/ye di?: What does X mean?
... maninkakan dɔ: ... in Maninka
... tubabukan dɔ: ... in French
... angilɛkan/anglais-kan dɔ: ... in English
Nin fɛlɛ!: Look at / Watch this!
Nin lamɛn!: Listen to this!
Nin karan!: Read this!
À fɔ!: Say it!
Sayin/seyin à kan!: Repeat it!
Jaati!: Precisely!
O ka ɲi!: That's good!

Maninka's Latin Alphabet

ɛ: open e pronunciation
bɛrɛ: gravel
bere: stick
ɔ: open o pronunciation
bɔlɔ: stake
bolo: arm
ɲ ("ɲa"): palatal n pronunciation
ɲin: tooth
ŋ ("ŋa"): velar n pronunciation
ŋɔni: thorn

The N'ko Alphabet

ߊ: a
o: e
ߍ: ɛ
ߌ: i
ߏ: o
ߐ: ɔ
ߎ: u
ߓ: b
ߗ: c
ߘ: d
ߝ: f
ߜ: gb
ߤ: h
ߖ: j
ߞ: k
ߟ: l
ߡ: m
ߣ: n
ߢ: ɲ
ߔ: p
ߙ: r
ߚ: rr
ߛ: s
ߕ: t
ߥ: w
ߦ: y
ߒ: n (syllabic)
ߠ: "na-woloso"
ߧ: "ɲa-woloso"

Last Name Shout-Outs

I [last name]!: To you, [last name]!
Álu [last name]!: To you all, [last name]!
Nba: Male greeting response
Nse: Female greeting response
Mɔɔbalu: Male response (Lit. 'The great people')
Marahaba: Male response [from Arabic]
N m'à sɔdɔn: Female response (Lit. "I haven't obtained it")
jamu: last name
I jamu/si?: What's your last name?
Jaanɛ: Diané [French spelling]
Jalo: Diallo [French spelling]
Kamara: Camara [French spelling]
Keyita: Keïta [French spelling]
Konate: Konaté [French spelling]
Kulubali: Coulibaly [French spelling]
Tarawele: Traoré [French spelling]
Ture: Touré [French spelling]

Unit 2

Presentatives

X le/ne.: It/this/that is X.
X tɛ.: It/this/that isn't X.
kala: pen
kitabu: book
kan: language
jamana: country
dɔnkili: song
jɔn: who
mun: what
Jɔn ne?: Who is it/this?
Mun ne?: What is it/this?
Foli le.: "It's a greeting."
I ni ke foli la.: Thanks for the greeting.
Juuman tɛ.: "It's nothing bad."
politikimɔɔ: politician
dɔnkililala: singer
feerela / feerekɛla: seller; merchant
dɔɔtɔrɔ: doctor
karamɔɔ: teacher
karanden: student
mɔɔ: person
den(nɛn): child
tubabu: White person; Westerner
fadafin: Black person; African
n/an [family.member]: my/our [family.member]
i/álu [family.member]: your [family.member]
à [family.member]: his/her [family.member]
àlu [family.member]: their [family.member]
somɔɔ: family member [Bambara/Jula]
denbaya: (nuclear) family
n na denbaya: my family
fa(kɛ): father [and paternal uncles]
na: mother [Maninka]
ba(moso): mother [Maninka/Bambara/Jula]
bɛnɔɔnɛn: paternal uncle (older than one's father)
bɛnɔɔba: paternal uncle (younger than one's father)
kɔdɔ: elder sibling
dɔɔ: younger sibling
mɔkɛ/mamakɛ: grandfather
mɔmoso/mamamoso: grandmother
bidan: in-law
tɛnɛn(moso): paternal aunt
barin(kɛ): maternal uncle
bɛn/ben(kɛ): nephew
bɛn/ben(moso): niece
sunkudun: young woman/girlfriend/lover
kameren: young man/boyfriend/lover
balima: kin; comrade
ni: and
ani: and (lit. 'it and')
wala/walima: or
tuɲa: truth
wuya: lie; fibbery
N/ne bolo...: "In my opinion..." (lit. 'My arm')
I bolo...: "In your opinion..."

Qualitative Verbs

X ka [quality]: X is [quality]
ka: helper word for qualitative verbs
X man [quality]: X isn't [quality]
man: negative helper word for qualitative verbs
X ye di?: "X is how?" (as in, "What is X like?")
(ɲa) di: how (lit. '[manner] how')
gbɛlɛn: difficult
nɔɔ: easy
X sɔnkɔ/da ka gbɛlɛn: X is expensive (lit. 'The price of X is difficult')
bon: large; fat
jan: tall; long; far
sudun: short; near
ɲi/ɲin: good; nice; great
juu: bad; mean; evil
siya: numerous; abundant; "a lot"
dɔɔ: small
di: pleasing; tasty
gbo: displeasing
misɛn: thin; small
kɛndɛ: healthy
fisa: better
fadin: fiery; spicy
suma: cool; cold
kalan: warm; hot
kosɛbɛ: seriously; "very"
kojuu: excessively; "too"
doyin / dɔɔnin / dɔnɛn: a little bit
dɛ: "really"
kɛ: "Don't you know?"; "Of course!"
sisɛn: now
fana: also
sumaya: malaria; flu-like symptoms (lit. "coolness")
Ala ye nɔɔya kɛ: May God do easing (as in, "Feel better!")
to: West African food dish of a pounded starch
faso: homeland
-ka: -er (as in, London*er*)
sila [sla]: road; path
dawunnin/domuni: food
cɛkɛ: attiéké (a West African dish made of cassava)
loko: plantain
minfen: drink; beverage
ji: water
bana: sickness [Maninka/Bambara/Jula]
jankaro: sickness [Maninka]
wadi/wodi: money
yiri: tree
ko: affair; matter; thing
nin/ɲin: this
o/wo: that
tuun/tuunin: anymore
(ko)tuun / tuunin: again

Pronouns

n: I
ne/nde: I (emphatic)
i: you
ile: you [emphatic]
à: he/she/it
ale: he/she/it (emphatic)
an: we
an ne: we (emphatic)
álu: you all
álu le: you all (emphatic)
àlu: they
álu le: they (emphatic)
le: focus marker
An ye taa! [An taa!] / An ye wa!: Let's go!

Equatives

X ye (le) [Y] di: X is [Y]
X tɛ [Y] di: X is not [Y]
siilan: chair
mun: what
ɲiman/ɲuman/juman: which
yɔrɔ-juman-ka: resident of which place [used in questions]
I ye yɔrɔ-juman-ka (le) di?: "Where are you from?" [lit. 'You are a which-placer?']
I la baara ye mun di?: What is your work?
fatɔ: crazy person
baasi: problem
mɔbili/mobili: car; vehicle
tuma: time; moment
waati: time; moment; period
mɔɔbakɔdɔ: elder person
-tii: owner/manager of
jawola: merchant; trader
maninka (< manden-ka): Maninka; Malinké (< 'person from Manden')
bamanan: Bambara (person)
jula: Jula (person); merchant/trader
fula [fla]: Fulani (person)
Laginɛka: Guinean (person)
Maliden: Malian (person) [lit. 'Mali-child']
Kodiwarika: Ivoirian (person)
Amerikika: American (person)
butiki: store; shop (< Fr. boutique)
makasan: store; shop
karanbon: school
lemunun: lemon
lemununji: lemonade
ko: affair; matter
fen: thing
so: town; village; city [or "house" in Bambara]
bon: house; room
lu: courtyard
duu: ground; earth [or "town" in Bambara]
nɛɛso: bike
maninkakan: Maninka (language)
bamanankan: Bambara (language)
julakan: Jula (language)
tubabukan: French (language)
angilɛkan/anglais-kan: English
bɛɛ: all
gbɛdɛ: another
do: some
jɛdɛ/yɛdɛ: even; self; own [Fr. "même"]
si: none; no