Unit 2 Vocab

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Unit 2

Presentatives

X don.
It/this/that is X. [Bambara]
X lo.
It/this/that is X. [Jula]
X tɛ.
It/this/that isn't X.
kala
pen
kitabu
book
mobili/mɔbili
car; truck; vehicle
kan
language
jamana
country
dɔnkili
song
jɔn
who
mun
what
Jɔn don?
Who is it/this?
Mun don?
What is it/this?
Foli don.
"It's a greeting."
I ni ce foli la.
Thanks for the greeting.
Juguman tɛ.
"It's nothing bad."
politikimɔgɔ
politician
fatɔ
crazy person
dɔnkilidala
singer
feerekɛla
seller; merchant
dɔgɔtɔrɔ
doctor
karamɔgɔ
teacher
kalanden
student
mɔgɔ
person
den(misɛn)
child
tubabu
White person; Westerner
farafin
Black person; African
n/an [family.member]
my/our [family.member]
i/aw [family.member]
your [family.member]
à [family.member]
his/her [family.member]
u [family.member]
their [family.member]
somɔgɔ
family member
denbaya

(nuclear) family

n ka denbaya
my family
fa(cɛ)
father [and paternal uncles]
ba(muso)
mother
kɔrɔ
elder sibling
dɔgɔ
younger sibling
mɔkɛ/mamacɛ
grandfather
mɔmuso/mamamuso
grandmother
buran
inlaw
tɛnɛmuso
paternal aunt
bɛɛn/bɛlɛnkɛ
maternal uncle
sungurun
young woman/girlfriend/lover
kamalen
young man/boyfriend/lover
balima
kin; comrade
ni
and
ani
and (lit. 'it and')
walima
or
tiɲɛ [cɛn]
truth
nkalon [galon]
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 bɛ di?
"X is how?" (as in, "What is X like?")
(cogo) di
how (lit. '[manner] how')
gɛlɛn [gwɛlɛn]
difficult
nɔgɔn/nɔgɔ

easy

X sɔngɔ/da ka gɛlɛn
X is expensive (lit. 'The price of X is difficult')
bon
large; fat
jan
tall; long; far
surun
short; near
ɲi
good; nice; great
jugu
bad; mean; evil
ca
numerous; abundant; "a lot"
dɔgɔ
small
di
pleasing; tasty
go [gwo]
displeasing
misɛn
thin; small
kɛnɛ
healthy
fisa
better
farin
fiery; spicy
suma
cool; cold
kalan
warm; hot
kosɛbɛ
seriously; "very"
kojugu
excessively; "too"
dɔɔnin
a little bit
dɛ
"really"
kɛ
"Don't you know?"; "Of course!"
sisan
now
fana
also
sumaya
malaria; flu-like symptoms (lit. "coolness")
Ala ka nɔgɔya kɛ
May God do easing (as in, "Feel better!")
to
West African food dish of a pounded starch
faso
homeland
kalanden
student
karamɔgɔ
teacher
-ka
-er (as in, London*er*)
wulu
dog
jakuma
cat
bɛgɛn/bagan
livestock; domesticated farm animal (as in, cows, goats, chickens, etc., but not dogs or cats)
sira
road; path
dumuni
food
cɛkɛ
attiéké (a West African dish made of cassava)
loko
plaintain
minfɛn
drink
ji
water
bana
sickness
wari
money
yiri/jiri
tree
ko
affair; matter; thing
nin
this
o
that
tugun
anymore [Bambara & Jula]
bilen
anymore [Bambara]

Pronouns

n
I
ne
I (emphatic)
i
you
e(le)
you [emphatic]
à
he/she/it
ale
he/she/it (emphatic)
an
we
anw
we (emphatic)
à
you all
aw
you all (emphatic)
u
they
olu
they (emphatic)
de
focus marker [Bambara]
le
focus marker [Jula]
An ka taa!
Let's go!

Equatives

X ye [Y] ye
X is [Y]
X tɛ [Y] ye
X is not [Y]
sigilan
chair
mun
what
jumɛn
which
yɔrɔ-jumɛn-ka
resident of which place [used in questions]
I ye yɔrɔ-jumɛn-ka ye?
"Where are you from?" [lit. 'You are a which-placer?']
I ka baara ye mun ye?
What is your work?
fatɔ
crazy person
baasi
problem
mɔbili/mobili
car; vehicle
tuma
time; moment
wagati/waati
time; moment; period
mɔgɔkɔrɔba
grown-up; elder person
-tigi
owner/manager of
jagokɛla
merchant; trader
bamanan
Bambara (person)
jula
Jula (person); merchant/trader
fula
Fulani (person)
Maliden
Malian (person) [lit. 'Mali-child']
Kodiwarika
Ivoirian (person)
Amerikika
American (person)
butiki
store; shop
kalanso
school
lemuru
lemon
lemuruji
lemonade
ko
affair; matter
fɛn
thing
so
house
bon
house; room
du/lu
courtyard
dugu
town; ground; earth
nɛgɛso
bike
bamanankan
Bambara (language)
julakan
Jula (language)
tubabukan
French (language)
angilɛkan/anglais-kan
English
bɛɛ
all
wɛrɛ
another
dɔ
some
yɛrɛ
even; self; own [Fr. "même"]
si
none; no

Situatives

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

It's not cold (out)!

Tɔɔrɔ tɛ!
There isn't suffering.
Hɛɛrɛ bɛ X la.
Peace is upon X.
Kɔngɔ bɛ X la
X is hungry (lit. 'Hunger is upon X')
Kow bɛ di?
How are things? (lit. 'Affairs are how?)
yan
here
yen
there
yan/yen fɛ
here/there
yɔrɔ
place
o yɔrɔ la
over there (lit. "in that place")
la
at; on; in
fɛ
Fr. 'chez'; at the place of; by
so
home
X bɛ so
X is at home
baarakɛyɔrɔ
workplace
X fɛ
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
ɲɛfɛ / ɲɛ fɛ
in front of
(ju)kɔrɔ
under; underneath
sanfɛ / san fɛ
above (lit. 'towards the sky of')
dugu ma
on the ground
kɛnɛ ma
outside (lit. 'to the clearing')
kɔnɔ
inside of
tan
like this
ten
like this
À bɛ 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
te
tea
dɛbɛ/dɛbɛn
mat
nafa
interest; utility
ɲɛnama
"good"; (lit. 'living; alive')
terikɛ/tericɛ
male friend
terimuso
female friend
N ɲɛ bɛ X la
I see X (lit. 'My eye is upon X')
N tulo bɛ X la
I hear X (lit. 'My ear is upon X')
Ka sira diya!
"Safe travels!" (lit. 'May the road be pleasing!')
kɛnɛya
health

Possessive Noun Phrases

i [inalienable thing]
your [inalienable thing]
bolo
arm; hand
tɛgɛ
hand; palm
kun
head
fari
body
kan
throat
kunsigi
hair (of your head)
sen
leg; foot
nisɔn
heart (lit. 'soul-heart')
dusu
heart
kɔnɔ
stomach; belly
ju
rear-end; butt
nun
nose
da
mouth
ɲin
tooth
disi
chest
sin
breast
kɔ
back
ɲɛ
eye; face
ɲa
eye; face [Jula]
hakili
intellect; idea
mɔden
grandchild
mamaden
grandchild [Jula]
i ka [alienable thing]
your [alienable thing]
ka
alienable possession marker
ta
possessive pronoun (e.g., "his/hers", "Adama's", etc.)
Jɔn ta don?
Whose is this?
Aminata ta tɛ!
It's not Aminata's!
N ta don.
It's mine.

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