Jola languages

Jola
Diola
Geographic distribution:	The Gambia, Senegal (esp. Casamance) and Guinea-Bissau
Linguistic classification:	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Bak–Bijago Bak proper Jola–Papel Jola
Subdivisions:	Bayot Jola proper
Glottolog:	nucl1345  (Nuclear Jola)[1] bayo1255  (Bayot)[2]

Jola or Diola is a dialect continuum spoken in Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. It belongs to the Bak branch of the Niger–Congo language family.

Languages

The primary branches of Jola proper and to some extent Central Jola are not mutually intelligible. The main varieties are:

• Bayot
• Jola proper
  • Central Jola
    • Jola-Fonyi (Kujamatay), spoken around Bignona. The official standard.
    • Bandial, spoken in a small area south of the Casamance River.
    • Gusilay, spoken in the village of Thionck Essyl.
    • Jola-Felupe (Ediamat), spoken in a handful of villages south of Oussouye in Oussouye Department. Kerak may be a dialect.
    • (Jola) Kasa, spoken around Oussouye.
  • Kwatay (Kuwaataay), spoken along the coast south of the Casamance River.
  • Karon–Mlomp
    • Karon, spoken along the coast of Casamance south of Diouloulou in Diouloulou Arrondissement.
    • Mlomp, spoken in the village of Mlomp.

Bayot

Bayot, spoken around Ziguinchor, is grammatically Jola apart from a non-Jola pronominal system, but maybe half its vocabulary is non-Jola and even non-Atlantic. It may therefore be a language isolate with substantial Jola borrowing (relexification). In any case it is clearly distinct from (other) Jola languages.

References

1. Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Nuclear Jola". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
2. Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Bayot". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

External links

• Kujamaat Jóola Folklore and Language materials