Languages of Guinea-Bissau
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Guinea-Bissau.]
Republic of Guinea-Bissau, República da Guiné-Bissau. Formerly Portuguese Guinea. 1,597,000. National or official language: Portuguese. Literacy rate: 6%. Immigrant languages: Pular (1,200), Susu (3,880), Western Maninkakan, Wolof. Also includes languages of Cape Verde, Guinea, Europe. Information mainly from J. Bendor-Samuel and Hartell 1989; J. Holm 1989. Blind population: 5,000 (1982 WCE). The number of individual languages listed for Guinea-Bissau is 22. Of those, 21 are living languages and 1 is a second language without mother-tongue speakers.
| Badyara | [pbp]
4,580 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Northeast corner.
Alternate names: Badian, Badjara, Badyaranké, Bigola, Gola, Kanjad, Pajade, Pajadinca, Pajadinka.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Eastern Senegal-Guinea, Tenda
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| Bainouk-Gunyuño | [bab]
8,860 (2006). South of Casamance River.
Alternate names: Bagnoun, Bainuk, Banhum, Banyuk, Banyum, Banyun, Banyung, Elomay, Elunay, Guñuun.
Dialects: Distinct from Bainouk-Gunyamoolo [bcz] of Senegal and Gambia. Related to Kobiana [kcj] and Kasanga [ccj] of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. More similar to the Tenda [tnr] varieties of eastern Senegal than to Balanta-Kentohe [ble].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Eastern Senegal-Guinea, Banyun
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| Balanta-Kentohe | [ble]
397,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Population total all countries: 423,000. North central and central coast. Also in Gambia.
Alternate names: Alante, Balanda, Balant, Balanta, Balante, Ballante, Belante, Brassa, Bulanda, Frase.
Dialects: Fora, Kantohe (Kentohe, Queuthoe), Naga, Mane. The Naga, Mane, and Kantohe dialects may be separate languages. Distinct from Balanta-Ganja [bjt] in Senegal. Not intelligible with Mansoanka [msw].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Bak, Balant-Ganja
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| Bassari | [bsc]
510 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Northeast.
Alternate names: Oniyan, Onian, Onëyan, Ayan, Biyan, Wo, Basari.
Dialects: Southern Bassari.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Eastern Senegal-Guinea, Tenda
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| Bayot | [bda]
2,190 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Northwest, along Senegal border.
Alternate names: Baiot, Bayote, Bayotte.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Bak, Jola, Bayot
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| Biafada | [bif]
44,900 (2006). Central south, north of Nalu [naj].
Alternate names: Beafada, Bedfola, Biafar, Bidyola, Dfola, Fada.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 52% with Badyara [pbp].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Eastern Senegal-Guinea, Tenda
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| Bidyogo | [bjg]
29,900 (2006). Roxa and Bijago islands. Anhaki on Canhabaque (Roxa) Island; Kagbaaga on Bubaque Island; Kamona on Caravela and Caraxe islands; Kajoko on Orango and Uno islands.
Alternate names: Bijago, Bijogo, Bijougot, Bijuga, Budjago, Bugago.
Dialects: Anhaqui (Anhaki), Kagbaaga, Kamona, Kajoko (Orango). Some intelligibility problems reported between dialects. Only Kamona is said to be unintelligible to others. Important grammatical differences between Kagbaaga and Anhaqui, Kagbaaga and Kajoko. No information about dialects on Galinhas and Formosa islands.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Bijago
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| Crioulo, Upper Guinea | [pov]
206,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2006), increasing. Population total all countries: 483,400. Bijagos Islands. Also in Gambia, Senegal, United States.
Alternate names: Guinea-Bissau Creole, Kiryol, Kriulo, Portuguese Creole.
Dialects: Bissau-Bolama Creole, Bafatá Creole, Cacheu-Ziguinchor Creole.
Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
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| Jola-Felupe | [eja]
23,800 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Population total all countries: 26,030. Northwest corner, San Domingo District. Also in Senegal.
Alternate names: Ejamat, Ediamat, Feloup, Felup, Felupe, Floup, Flup, Fulup.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 63% with Jola-Fonyi [dyo] or Jola-Kasa [csk]; 50% with Gusilay [gsl] or Bandial [bqj].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Bak, Jola, Jola Proper, Jola Central, Her-Ejamat
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| Jola-Fonyi | [dyo]
6,490 in Guinea-Bissau (2006).
Alternate names: Diola-Fogny, Jola, Jola-Fogny, Kujamataak, Kújoolaak Kati Fooñi.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Bak, Jola, Jola Proper, Jola Central, Jola-Fonyi
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| Kasanga | [ccj]
690 (2006). Northwest near Felupe, border area, sparsely populated.
Alternate names: Cassanga, Haal, I-Hadja, Kassanga.
Dialects: Similar to Bainouk-Gunyuno [bab].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Eastern Senegal-Guinea, Nun
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| Kobiana | [kcj]
690 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Population total all countries: 1,090. Ethnic population: 690. Near Banyun. Also in Senegal.
Alternate names: Buy, Cobiana, Uboi.
Dialects: Similar to Bainouk-Gunyuno [bab], Kasanga [ccj].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Eastern Senegal-Guinea, Nun
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| Mandinka | [mnk]
167,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). North central, central, and northeast.
Alternate names: Manding, Mandinga, Mandingo, Mandingue, Mandinque.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Central-Southwestern, Central, Manding-Jogo, Manding-Vai, Manding-Mokole, Manding, Manding-West
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| Mandjak | [mfv]
184,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Population total all countries: 315,300. West and northwest of Bissau. Also in France, Gambia, Senegal.
Alternate names: Kanyop, Mandjaque, Mandyak, Manjaca, Manjack, Manjaco, Manjaku, Manjiak, Mendyako, Ndyak.
Dialects: Bok (Babok, Sarar, Teixeira Pinto, Tsaam), Likes-Utsia (Baraa, Kalkus), Cur (Churo), Lund, Yu (Pecixe, Siis, Pulhilh). Some dialects may be separate languages. Similar to Mankanya [knf], Papel [pbo].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Bak, Manjaku-Papel
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| Mankanya | [knf]
44,200 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Population total all countries: 75,050. Northwest of Bissau, Bula, and Có. Also in Gambia, Senegal.
Alternate names: Bola, Mancagne, Mancang, Mancanha, Mankaañ, Mankanha.
Dialects: Uhula, Uwoh. Related to Mandjak [mfv].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Bak, Manjaku-Papel
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| Mansoanka | [msw]
15,500 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Population total all countries: 17,100. North central. Also in Gambia.
Alternate names: Kunant, Kunante, Mansoanca, Maswanka, Sua.
Dialects: Not inherently intelligible with Balanta-Kentohe [ble] or Mandinka [mnk], although called ‘Mandinkanized Balanta’.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Southern, Sua
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| Nalu | [naj]
8,830 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Southwest near the coast.
Alternate names: Nalou.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Mbulungish-Nalu
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| N’ko | [nqo]
Classification: Mixed language
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| Papel | [pbo]
136,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). Population total all countries: 140,200. Bissau, Cacheu region. Also in Senegal.
Alternate names: Moium, Oium, Papei, Pepel.
Dialects: Similar to Mankanya [knf] and Mandjak [mfv]. 3 dialects.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Bak, Manjaku-Papel
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| Portuguese | [por]
198,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2005).
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician
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| Pulaar | [fuc]
265,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2006). North central and northeast.
Alternate names: Fulfulde-Pulaar, Peul, Peulh, Pulaar Fulfulde.
Dialects: Fulacunda (Fulakunda, Fulkunda, Fula Preto, Fula Forro).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Senegambian, Fulani-Wolof, Fula, Western
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| Soninke | [snk]
5,000 in Guinea-Bissau (2005 LeClerc). Northeast, north of Gaoual.
Alternate names: Marka, Sarakole, Serahule.
Dialects: Azer (Adjer, Aser, Ajer, Masiin, Taghdansh).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Northwestern, Soninke-Bobo, Soninke-Boso, Soninke
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