Unit 2 Vocab

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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)
álu
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

Situatives

X ye [location]
X is.located [location]
ye
situative/location copula ["is located"]
X tɛ [location]
X is.not.located [location]
tɛ
negative situative/location copula ["is not located"]
X ye [country/city]
X is in [country/city]
Fadafinna
Africa (lit. 'land of the Blacks')
X ye
There is X
X tɛ
There isn't X
Funtanin ye!
It's hot (out)!
Nɛnɛ tɛ!

It's not cold (out)!

Tana/tɔɔrɔ tɛ!
There isn't (an) ill/suffering.
Hɛrɛ ye X la.
Peace is upon X.
Kɔnkɔ ye X la
X is hungry (lit. 'Hunger is upon X')
À ye di?
How are things? (lit. 'How is it?')
I y'à kan?
You doing good? (lit. "Are you on it?")
Kolu ye di?
How are things? (lit. 'Affairs are how?)
yan
here
yen
there
yan/yen fɛ
here/there
yɔrɔ
place [Maninka/Bambara/Jula]
yila
place [Maninka; with "y"]
diya
place [Maninka; with "d"]
o yɔrɔ la
over there (lit. "in that place")
la
at; on; upon
dɔ
in; upon
ma
"to"
fɛ
Fr. 'chez'; at the place of; by; via
bada
Fr. 'chez'; at the place of
lu ma
in the courtyard (lit. "to the courtyard")
X ye X bada
X is at home
baarayɔrɔ / baarada
workplace
X fɛ/bada
at X's place/home
Ne fɛ
"For me" (as in, "It's good *for me*")
kan
on top of
kɛrɛfɛ / kɛrɛ fɛ
next to
kɔfɛ / kɔ fɛ
behind
ɲafɛ / ɲa fɛ
in front of
(ju)kɔdɔ
under; underneath
sandɔ / san dɔ
above (lit. 'in sky')
duu ma
on the ground
kɛnɛ ma
outside (lit. 'to the clearing')
kɔnɔ
inside of
tan
like this
ten
like this
À ye ten!
It's like that! ("That's how it is!")
À tɛ ten!
It's not like that! ("That's not how it is!)
sukaro
sugar
(du)te
tea (< Fr. "du thé")
dɛbɛ/dɛbɛn
mat
nafa
interest; utility; value; benefit
ɲanama
"good"; (lit. 'living; alive')
teri(kɛ/moso)
friend [Maninka; Bambara; Jula]
dɛɲɔɔn
friend [Maninka]
N ɲa ye X la
I see X (lit. 'My eye is upon X')
N tolo ye X la
I hear X (lit. 'My ear is upon X')
Ka sila diya!
"Safe travels!" (lit. 'May the road be pleasing!')
kɛndɛya
health

Possessive Noun Phrases

i [inalienable thing]
your [inalienable thing]
bolo
arm; hand
tɛɛ
hand; palm
kun
head
fadi
body
kan
throat
kunsi
hair (of your head)
sen
leg; foot
sɔn
heart [organ]
jusu
heart [guts]
kɔnɔ
stomach; belly
ju
rear-end; butt
nun
nose
da
mouth
ɲin
tooth
sisi/disi
chest
sin
breast
kɔ
back
ɲa
eye; face
hankili
intellect; idea
mamaden/ren
grandchild
mɔden
grandchild [Bambara]
i la [alienable thing]
your [alienable thing]
la/na
alienable possession marker
ta
possessive pronoun (e.g., "his/hers", "Adama's", etc.)
Jɔn ta le?
Whose is this?
Aminata ta tɛ!
It's not Aminata's!
N ta le.
It's mine.

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