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Bambara language

Bambara, also known as Bamana (N'Ko script: ߓߡߊߣߊ߲) or Bamanankan (N'Ko script: ߓߡߊߣߊ߲ߞߊ߲; Arabic script: بَمَنَنكَن), is a lingua franca and national language of Mali spoken by perhaps 14 million people, natively by 4.2 million Bambara people and about 10 million second-language users.[1] It is estimated that about 80 percent of the population of Mali speak Bambara as a first or second language. It has a subject–object–verb clause structure and two lexical tones.

"Bamanan" redirects here. For the Rokia Koné and Jacknife Lee album, see Bamanan (album).

Bambara

Mali

central southern Mali

Bamana

L1: 4.2 million (2012)[1]
L2: 10 million (2012)[1]

Niger-Congo?

Latin, Arabic (Ajami), N'ko

Mali (co-official)

bm

bam

bam

bamb1269

Classification[edit]

Bambara is a variety of a group of closely related languages called Manding, whose native speakers trace their cultural history to the medieval Mali Empire.[2] Varieties of Manding are generally considered (among native speakers) to be mutually intelligible – dependent on exposure or familiarity with dialects between speakers – and spoken by 9.1 million people in the countries Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and the Gambia.[3] Manding is part of the larger Mandé family of languages.

Geographical distribution[edit]

Bambara is spoken throughout Mali as a lingua franca. The language is most widely spoken in the areas east, south, and north of Bamako, where native speakers and/or those that identify as members of the Bambara ethnic group are most densely populated. These regions are also usually considered to be the historical geographical origin of Bambara people, particularly Ségou, after diverging from other Manding groups.[4]

Dialects[edit]

The main dialect is Standard Bamara, which has significant influence from Maninkakan. Bambara has many local dialects: Kaarta, Tambacounda (west); Beledugu, Bananba, Mesekele (north); Jitumu, Jamaladugu, Segu (center); Cakadugu, Keleyadugu, Jalakadougu, Kurulamini, Banimɔncɛ, Cɛmala, Cɛndugu, Baninkɔ, Shɛndugu, Ganadugu (south); Kala, Kuruma, Saro, dialects to the northeast of Mopti (especially Bɔrɛ); Zegedugu, Bɛndugu, Bakɔkan, Jɔnka (southeast).[4][5]

A – a – [a]

B – be – [b]

C – ce – [t͡ʃ]

D – de – [d]

E – e – [e]

Ɛ – ɛ – [ɛ]

F – ef – [f]

G – ge – [g]

H – ha – [h]

I – i – [i]

J – je – [d͡ʒ]

K – ka – [k]

L – ɛl – [l]

M – ɛm – [m]

N – ɛn – [n]

Ɲ – ɲe – [ɲ]

Ŋ – ɛŋ – [ŋ]

O – o – [o]

Ɔ – ɔ – [ɔ]

P – pe – [p]

R – ɛr – [r]

S – ɛs – [s]

T – te – [t]

U – u – [u]

W – wa – [w]

Y – ye – [j]

Z – ze – [z]

"W" is pronounced as in English (e.g. wait) except at the end of a word, when it is the plural mark and is pronounced as [u].

"S" is pronounced most often as in the English word "see" but is sometimes pronounced as "sh" [ʃ] as in the word "shoe" or as [z].

"G" is pronounced most often as in the English word "go" but in the middle of a word, it can be pronounced as in the Spanish word "abogado" ([ɣ]) and sometimes at the beginning of a word as [gw].

[12]

Music[edit]

Malian artists such as Oumou Sangaré, Sidiki Diabaté, Fatoumata Diawara, Rokia Traoré, Ali Farka Touré, Habib Koité and the married duo Amadou & Mariam often sing in Bambara. Lyrics in Bambara occur on Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants".


Additionally, in 2010, Spanish rock group Dover released its 7th studio album I Ka Kené with the majority of lyrics in the language. American rapper Nas also released a track titled "Patience" in 2010, which featured Damian Marley and extensively sampled the Amadou & Mariam song "Sabali", as sabali is a Bambara word meaning patience.

Legal status[edit]

Bambara was until 2023 one of several languages designated by Mali as a national language.[13]


In 2023, after a new constitution was approved by a majority of voters, Bambara became co-official, together with 12 other languages spoken in the country. French was removed as the official language and was kept only as a working language.[14]

Mali – History – Language