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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Guinea > Jahanka

Jahanka

A language of Guinea

ISO 639-3: jad

Population  12,600 in Guinea (1991). Population total all countries: 13,100.
Region  Touba area and Toubadinque near Gaoual, border area with Mali. Also in Mali.
Language map  Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, reference number 14
Alternate names   Diakhanke, Diakkanke, Dyakanke, Jahanque, Jahonque, Jaxanka
Dialects  Jahanka in Gambia may be same language, or a dialect of Western Maninkakan [mlq]. Jahanka in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau is a dialect of Western Maninkakan. Lexical similarity: 75% with Mandinka [mnk].
Classification  Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Central-Southwestern, Central, Manding-Jogo, Manding-Vai, Manding-Mokole, Manding
Writing system  Arabic script.
Comments  They are reported to have come from Mali in the 18th century. They trace their origins to Soninke [snk], but now speak a separate language. Rice merchants; Muslim scholars. Muslim.

Also spoken in:

Mali

Language name   Jahanka
Population  500 in Mali (2001).
Region  Kotema and Niebore villages, near Guinea border. Possibly more east.
Language map  Mali, Enlarged Area
Alternate names  Diakhanke, Diakkanke, Dyakanke, Jahanque, Jahonque
Comments  They are reported to have originated in Mali. They trace their origins to Soninke [snk], but now speak a separate language. Muslim.
 

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

SULLIVAN, Terrence D., author. 2004. "A preliminary report of existing information on the Manding languages of West Africa: summary and suggestions for future research."  Available online