Jola languages

Jola or Diola is the name for a dialect cluster spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea Bissau. It belongs to the Bak branch of the Niger–Congo language family.

Bayot, spoken around Ziguinchor, is grammatically Jola apart from a non-Jola pronominal system, but maybe half its vocabulary is non-Jola and even non-Atlantic. It may therefore be a language isolate with substantial Jola borrowing (relexification). In any case it is clearly distinct from (other) Jola languages.

The primary branches of Jola proper and to some extent Central Jola are not mutually intelligible. The main varieties are:

• ? Bayot
• Jola proper
  • Central Jola
    • (Jola) Fonyi (Kujamatay), spoken around Bignona. The official standard.
    • Banjaal (Bandial), spoken in a small area south of the Casamance River.
    • Gusilay, spoken in the village of Tionk Essil.
    • Ejamat (Jola Felupe), spoken in a handful of villages south of Oussouye. Kerak may be a dialect.
    • (Jola) Kasa, spoken around Oussouye.
  • Kuwaataay, spoken along the coast south of the Casamance River.
  • Karon–Mlomp
    • Karon, spoken along the coast of Casamance south of Diouloulou.
    • Mlomp, spoken in the village of Mlomp.

External links

• Ethnologue report on Jola
• Kujamaat Jóola Folklore and Language materials