Wolofal alphabet

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Wolofal alphabet
L.Planchat.12.Aln.40-1.v.jpg
Label of a specimen of Striped Kingfisher indicating the Wolof name of the bird in Latin alphabet and Wolofal.
Script type
Period
c. 17th century — present
DirectionRight-to-left
Languages Wolof
Related scripts
Parent systems
 This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.For the distinction between [ ], / / and  , see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

Wolofal is a derivation of the Arabic script for writing the Wolof language. It is basically the name of a West African Ajami script as used for that language.

Contents

Wolofal was the first script for writing Wolof. Although the Latin alphabet is the primary official script of the language in today's Senegal, Wolofal is still used by many people as a symbol of Islamic Wolof culture. Furthermore, Wolofal orthography has been standardized in 1990 by Direction de la Promotion des Langues Nationales (DPLN) (now known as Direction de l'alphabétisation des langues nationales), an initiative of Senegal's Ministry of Education as part of a harmonized national "Arabic script". This "harmonized script is used for Wolof, Pulaar, Soninke, Mandinka, Seereer, Joola, and Balant. [1]

The standardization of the Arabic script in Senegal was followed by an effort to teach the correct orthography to over 20,000 people, mostly Imams and their students, to write in the script. But despite the efforts of the Senegalese government in the matter, the alphabet has not been officially decreed by the government. The reason for this is that standardization of writing in Ajami script in West Africa is supposed to be a multi-national effort. [1]

Alphabet

Wolofal, like its parent system, the Arabic script, is an abjad. This means that only consonants are represented with letters. Vowels are shown with diacritics. As a matter of fact, writing of diacritics, including zero-vowel (sukun) diacritic as per the orthographic are mandatory.

In order to represent sounds in Wolof that are not present in Arabic, letters as well as diacritics have been created. Historically, there was different conventions among different writers and schools, but one of the aims and achievements of the push for standardization by the Senegalese Ministry of Education has been to agree upon a unified set of letters. [1] [2]


Letters

There are 23 letters in Wolofal alphabet. The list does not include consonants that are used exclusively in Arabic loanwords and do not occur in Wolof words, nor does it include digraphs used for showing prenasalized consonants. [2]

Wolofal Letters [1] [2]
NameFormsSound representedLatin equivalentExampleNotes
IsolatedFinalMedialInitialWolofalLatin
alif
اَلِف
اـاا/a/- / aاِتَمْ
گَالْ
itam
gaal
  • The alif has two functions: first, to be the carrier of vowel diacritic as word initial, and second to indicate long vowel "-aa".
beh
بࣹهْ
بـبـبـبـ[ b ]bبَاخْbaax
peh
ݒࣹهْ
ݒـݒـݒـݒـ[ p ]pݒࣹݒّpepp
  • Character not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternatives: پ, ݑ
  • Unicode U+0752
teh
تࣹهْ
تـتـتـتـ[ t ]tتَارْtaar
ceh
ݖࣹهْ
ݖـݖـݖـݖـ[ c ]cݖَابِcaabi
  • Character not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternatives: چ‎, جۛ
  • Unicode U+0756
seh
ثࣹهْ
ثـثـثـثـ[ s ]s
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
jeem
جࣹيمْ
جـجـجـجـ[ ɟ ]jجَايْjaay
hah
حَهْ
حـحـحـحـ[ h ]h
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
xah
خَهْ
خـخـخـخـ[ x ]xخَمْxam
dal
دَلْ
دـدد[ d ]dدَانُdaanu
sal
ذَلْ
ذـذذ[ ɟ ]~[ z ]j
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
reh
رࣹهْ
رـرر[ r ]rرَاسraas
seh
زࣹهْ
زـزز[ ɟ ]~[ z ]j
  • Character only used in writing of foreign Loanwords
seen
سࣹينْ
سـسـسـسـ[ s ]sسَنتْsant
cheen
شࣹينْ
شـشـشـشـ[ s ]~[ ʃ ]s
  • Character only used in writing of foreign Loanwords
saad
صَادْ
صـصـصـصـ[ s ]s
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
daad
ضَادْ
ضـضـضـضـ[ d ]d
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
taay
طَايْ
طـطـطـطـ[ t ]t
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
saay
ظَايْ
ظـظـظـظـ[ ɟ ]~[ z ]j
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
ayn
عَيْنْ
عـعـعـعـ--اِسْرَعࣹلْ
دࣴعࣴلْ
Israel
dëel
  • Used for writing vowel sequences, and mid-word syllables that start with vowels.
  • Used for marking long vowel "ëe", where it's written with diacritic ◌ࣴ.
gayn
غَيْنْ
غـغـغـغـ[ ɡ ]g
  • Character only used in writing of Arabic Loanwords
ŋoon
ݝࣷونْ
ݝـݝـݝـݝـ[ ŋ ]ŋݝَامْŋaam
  • Character not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternatives: ݤ‎,ڭ
  • Unicode U+075D
feh
فࣹهْ
فـفـفـفـ[ ɸ ]fفَارْfaar
qaf
قَفْ
قـقـقـقـ[ q ]qنَقَرْnaqar
kaf
کَفْ
کـکـکـکـ[ k ]kکَانِkaani
geh
گࣹهْ
گـگـگـگـ[ ɡ ]gگَالْgaal
  • Character not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternative: ڭ
lam
لَمْ
لـلـلـلـ[ l ]lلَجّlajj
meem
مࣹيمْ
مـمـمـمـ[ m ]mمَامْ
مبَارْ
maam
mbaar
  • Used either as an independent consonant, or as part of a digraph in prenasalized consonants.
noon
نࣷونْ
نـنـنـنـ[ n ]nنَانْ
نجࣷولْ
naan
njool
  • Used either as an independent consonant, or as part of a digraph in prenasalized consonants.
ñoon
ݧࣷونْ
ݧـݧـݧـݧـ[ ɲ ]ñݧَانْñaan
  • Character not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternatives: چ‎, جۛ
  • Unicode U+0767
waw
وَوْ
وـوو[ w ]wوَاوْ
بُورْ
waaw
buur
  • The waw has two functions: first, to be a consonant with the sound /w/, and second to indicate long vowels "-oo" "-óó", and "uu".
heh
هࣹهْ
هـهـهـهـ[ h ]hاَهَکَايْahakaay
yeh
يࣹهْ
يـيـيـيـ[ j ]yيَايْ
نجِيتْ
yaay
njiit
  • The yeh has two functions: first, to be a consonant with the sound /j/, and second to indicate long vowels "-ee" "-éé", and "ii".

Vowels

Wolofal, like its parent system, the Arabic script, is an abjad. This means that only consonants are represented with letters. Vowels are shown with diacritics. As a matter of fact, writing of diacritics, including zero-vowel (sukun) diacritic as per the orthographic are mandatory.

Arabic has 3 vowels, and thus 3 vowel diacritics. But in Wolof, there are 9 vowels, and as all vowels are shown with diacritics in Wolofal. This means that on top of the 3 original diacritics, 6 additional ones have been created.

Wolofal short vowels [1] [2]
Vowel IPA Latin eq. Unicode ExampleNotes
WolofalLatin
◌َ[ a ]aU+064Eمَگْmag
◌ࣵ[ a ]àU+08F5مࣵگّmàgg
  • Diacritic not found in Arabic.
  • Only before a long (prenasalized or geminate) consonant.
  • Obsolete Alternative: ◌َ
◌ࣴ[ ə ]ëU+08F4بࣴتْbët
◌ࣹ[ ɛ ]eU+08F9کࣹݒّkepp
  • Diacritic not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternative: ◌ٜ
◌ࣺ[ e ]éU+08FAکࣺݒّképp
  • Diacritic not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternative: ◌ٜ
◌ِ[ i ]iU+0650اِتَمْitam
◌ࣷ[ ɔ ]oU+08F7سࣷقْsoq
  • Diacritic not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternative: ◌ٝ
◌ࣸ[ o ]óU+08F8نࣸبْnób
  • Diacritic not found in Arabic.
  • Obsolete Alternative: ◌ُ
◌ُ[ u ]uU+064Fدُگُبْdugub

When vowels appear at the beginning of the word, an alif (ا) is used as the carrier of the vowel. [2]

Vowel as first sound of word
AÀËEÉIOÓU
اَاࣵاࣴاࣹاࣺاِاࣷاࣸاُ

Vowels in Wolof are also distinguished by length, short and long. Short vowels are only shown with a diacritic. Similar to Arabic, long vowels are indicated by writing alif (ا), waw (و), or yeh (ي). But unlike Arabic, this does not mean that the vowel diacritic can be dropped. It cannot, as there 8 vowels and not 3. Vowel "à" (◌ࣵ) does not have a long version. [2]

Wolofal long vowels [1] [2]
VowelLatin equivalentExample
WolofalLatin
◌َاaaبَاتْbaat
◌ࣴعࣴـ / ◌ࣴعࣴëeدࣴعࣴلْ‎dëel
◌ࣹيـ / ◌ࣹيeeلࣹينْleen
◌ࣺيـ / ◌ࣺيéeلࣺينْléen
◌ِيـ / ◌ِيiiنجِيتْnjiit
◌ࣷوooوࣷورْwoor
◌ࣸوóoوࣸورْwóor
◌ُوuuبُورْbuur

The same principle is followed for when a long vowel is at the beginning of a word. An alif (ا) is used as the carrier of the vowel, followed by either waw (و) or yeh (ي) as appropriate. The exception is when a word starts with the long vowel "Aa". Instead of two alifs (اا) being used, an alif-maddah (آ) is used. [2]

Vowel as first sound of word
AaËeEeÉeIiOoÓoUu
آاࣴعࣴـ / اࣴعࣴاࣹيـ / اࣹياࣺيـ / اࣺياِيـ / اِياࣷواࣸواُو

Consonant diacritics

There are two consonant diacritics in Wolofal alphabet. These are shadda (◌ّ) indicating gemination, and sukun (◌ْ) indicating zero-vowel.

These two diacritics cannot appear on the same consonant simultaneously. Geminated consonants only ever occur either at the end of the word, or before a suffix. [2]

All consonants require either a vowel diacritic or one of these diacritics (or a vowel diacritic combined with shadda) except in two cases: [2]

  1. When a consonant is prenasalized, and is thus shown with a digraph including either the letter m "م" or n "ن". In these cases, the letters m "م" or n "ن" will remain with no diacritic.
  2. When the letter in question is alif (ا), waw (و), or yeh (ي) and its function in the word is to indicate a long vowel, it will remain unmarked.

It is important to note that unlike Arabic, it is possible for a consonant to take shadda (◌ّ) while not having consonants. This phenomenon mostly occurs at the end of words. Native Wolof speakers pronounce geminated nouns not as doubles but simply longer. But the distinction is essential, as the meaning of a word can change. [2] Table below provides some examples:

WolofalLatinMeaningWolofalLatinMeaning
بࣴتْbëteyeبࣴتّbëttto find
بࣷیْboyto catch fireبࣷیّboyyto be glimmering
دَگْdaga royal servantدَگّdaggto cut
دࣴجْdëjfuneralدࣴجّdëjj cunt
فࣹنْfento (tell a) lieفࣹنّfennsomewhere, nowhere
گَلْgalwhite goldگَلّgallto regurgitate
ݝࣷنْgoŋbaboonݝࣷنّgoŋŋa kind of bed
گࣴمْgëmto believeگࣴمّgëmmto close one's eyes
جَوْJawa family nameجَوّjawwheaven
نࣴبْnëbrottenنࣴبّnëbbto hide
وࣷݧْwoñthreadوࣷݧّwoññto count

Prenasalized consonants

Prenasalized consonants are written as a digraph (combination of two consonants). While historically, there were single letter alternatives, these letters are no longer used. Prenasalized consonants are constructed using meem (م) or noon (ن) in combination with other consonants. The letter meem (م) appears in pairs with beh (ب) or peh (ݒ), whereas the letter noon (ن) appears in pairs with teh (ت), ceh (ݖ‎), dal (د), jeem (ج), qaf (ق), kaf (ک), and geh (گ). Some digraphs cannot appear at the beginning of words, -mp (مݒ), -nc (نݖ), -nq (نق).

Prenasalized consonants cannot take the zero-vowel diacritic sukun (◌ْ). If they are at the end of the word and have no vowels, they will take the gemination diacritic shadda (◌ّ).

Some Wolof-speaking authors treat these digraphs as their own independent letters.

Wolofal prenasalized Consonant Digraphs [2]
FormsSound representedLatin equivalentExampleNotes
IsolatedFinalMedialInitialWolofalLatin
مبـمبّـمبـمبـ[ ᵐb ]mbمبَارْmbaar
  • Obsolete Alternative: ݑ
مݒـمݒّـمݒـ-[ ᵐp ]mpسَمݒّsamp
  • Cannot exist at the beginning of a word
نݖـنݖّـنݖـ-[ ⁿc ]ncسَنݖّsanc
  • Cannot exist at the beginning of a word
ندـندّـندند[ ⁿd ]ndندَوْndaw
  • Obsolete Alternative: ڎ
نجـنجّـنجـنجـ[ ᶮɟ ]njنجࣷولْnjool
  • Obsolete Alternative: چ
نقـنقّـنقـ-[ⁿq]nqجَنقّjanq
  • Cannot exist at the beginning of a word
نکـنکّـنکـنکـ[ɴk]nkدࣺنکّdénk
نگـنگّـنگـنگـ[ ᵑɡ ]ngنگَnga
  • Obsolete Alternative: ݣ
  • Important to note that it is different from ݝ

Sample text

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

TranslationLatin ScriptWolofal (Arabic) Script
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.Doomi aadama yépp danuy juddu, yam ci tawfeex ci sag ak sañ-sañ. Nekk na it ku xam dëgg te ànd na ak xelam, te war naa jëflante ak nawleen, te teg ko ci wàllu mbokk.دࣷومِ آدَمَ يࣺݒّ دَنُيْ جُدُّ، يَمْ ݖِ تَوفࣹيخْ ݖِ سَگْ اَکْ سَݧْ-سَݧْ. نࣹکّ نَ اِتْ کُ خَمْ دࣴگّ تࣹ اࣵ‎ندْ نَ خࣹلَمْ، تࣹ وَرْ نَا جࣴفْلَنْتࣹ اَکْ نَوْلࣹينْ، تࣹ تࣹگْ کࣷ ݖِ وࣵلُّ مبࣷکّ.

Bibliography

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Priest, Lorna A; Hosken, Martin; SIL International (12 August 2010). "Proposal to add Arabic script characters for African and Asian languages" (PDF). pp. 13–18, 34–37.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Currah, Galien (26 August 2015) ORTHOGRAPHE WOLOFAL. Link (Archive)