Bamanankan

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A language of Mali

ISO 639-3
bam
Alternate Names
Bamanakan, Bambara
Population

4,000,000 in Mali (2012 V. Vydrin), increasing. 75,000 Ganadugu (Vanderaa 1991), 164,000 Wasulu (2009 census). Population total all countries: 4,072,040.

Location

Widespread, southern, central Koulikoro, Segou, northern Sikasso, Watershed, middle Niger river; Kayes Region. Also in Côte d’Ivoire (Bambara), Gambia (Bambara), Mauritania (Bambara), Senegal (Bambara).

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1982, Decree No. 159 of 19 July, Article 1).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Central-Southwestern, Central, Manding-Jogo, Manding-Vai, Manding-Mokole, Manding, Manding-East, Northeastern Manding, Bamana
Dialects

Beledugu, Ganadugu, San, Segou, Sikasso, Somono, Standard Bambara, Wasulunkakan (Maninkakan, Eastern, Wassulu, Wassulunka, Wassulunke, Wasulu, Wasuu). Many local dialects. The main division is standard Bambara, influenced heavily by Eastern Maninkakan [emk], and rural dialects. Bamanankan dialects are spoken in varying degrees by 80% of the Mali population. In Mali, Wasulunkakan is shared by both Bamanankan and Eastern Maninkakan, but in Guinea it is only a dialect of Eastern Maninkakan.

Language Use

Growing. Up to 10,000,000 L2 speakers (2012 V. Vydrine). Adult education. Positive attitudes.

Language Development
Taught in primary schools. Poetry. Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. Films. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1961–1987.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bamanankan
Writing
Latin script. N’Ko script, used in Mali.
Other Comments

Wasulu are former Fulbe. Muslim, traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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