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Index / Languages / Niger-Congo /
Wolof
Other spellings: Ouolof; Volof; Walaf; Yallof
Language of Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania spoken by 4 million (2006 estimate). In Mauritania, there are about 300,000, but estimate vary very much; Ethnologue sets it at 12,000.
Wolof is spoken by the Wolof people. Being of the Fula-Wolof family, Wolof is related to Pulaar. Dialects used in Mauritania are Baol, Cayor, Djolof, Lebou and Ndyanger. Depending on region, Wolof is written in Arabic or Latin script.
The Latin writing was standardized in 1974, using many diacritic signs. Below is an example of wolof in Latin, from the 1st article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
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.
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