| Kassonke | |
|---|---|
| Xaasongaxango Western Maninka |
|
| Spoken in | Mali |
| Ethnicity | Kassonke, Malinke |
| Native speakers | 230,000 in Mali (1991) 425,300 in Senegal (2006) |
| Language family | |
| Recognised minority language in | Mali |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | either: kao – Kassonke mlq – Western Malinke |
The Kassonke (Khassonké) language, Xaasongaxango (Xasonga), or Western Maninka (Malinke), is a Manding language spoken by the Khassonké of western Mali and by the Malinke of eastern Senegal. The Kassonke variety is a national language in Mali. The two varieties are 90% mutually intelligible, though distinct from the Mandinka (Malinke) of western Senegal, which is a national language there.