Manjak language

Last updated
Manjak
Manjáku
Native to Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and the Gambia
Ethnicity Manjack
Native speakers
320,000 (2021–2022) [1]
Dialects
  • Bok
  • Ulekes
  • Ucur
  • Ulund
  • Uyu
  • Unuab
  • Uteer
  • Uyool
  • Uyanga
  • Undin
  • Ubuey
  • Uguejan
  • Utimats
  • Uroongaan
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3 mfv
Glottolog mand1419

Manjak or Manjack (French : Mandjak, Mandyak; Portuguese : Manjaco) or Njak is a Bak language of Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The language is also known as Kanyop.

Contents

In 2006, the total number of speakers was estimated at 315,300, including 184,000 in Guinea-Bissau, 105,000 in Senegal and 26,300 in The Gambia.

Dialects

The Manjak dialects below are distinct enough that some might be considered separate languages.[ citation needed ]

The Manjak dialects listed by Wilson (2007) are [2]

Writing system

The official spelling system for Manjak established by the Senegalese government is regulated by Decree No. 2005-983 of 21 October 2005.

Manjak alphabet (Senegal)
ABCDEËFGHIJKLMNÑŊOPRSŜT[illegible]UWYZ
abcdeëfghijklmnñŋoprsŝt[illegible]uwyz

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References

  1. Manjak at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. Wilson, William André Auquier. 2007. Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

Further reading