Fula

Also known as Fulah, Fulani, Fula language, Ful language, Fulah language, Fulani language, Fulbe language adlam, Fulde language

language of West Africa of the Senegambian branch of the Niger–Congo language family

AI overview

Fula is a major language spoken across West Africa that belongs to the Niger–Congo language family. It matters because it serves as a primary means of communication for millions of people across the region and represents an important part of West African linguistic and cultural heritage.

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Wikidata facts

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Commons category: Fula language
Wikimedia language code: ff
native label: 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪
number of speakers, writers, or signers: 24000000
exact match: publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/language/FUL
P10369: Carl Sagan

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Article

Fula (Listen) (/ˈfuːlə/ FOO-lə), natively known as Fulfulde and also known as Fulani (Listen) (/fʊˈlɑːniː/ fuu-LAH-nee) or Fulah (Fulfulde, Pulaar, Pular; Adlam: 𞤊𞤵𞤤𞤬𞤵𞤤𞤣𞤫, 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞥄𞤪, 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪; Ajami: ࢻُلْࢻُلْدٜ‎, ݒُلَارْ‎, بُۛلَر‎), is a Senegambian language spoken by around 36.8 million people as a set of various dialects in a continuum that stretches across some 18 countries in West and Central Africa. Along with other related languages such as Serer and Wolof, it belongs to the Atlantic geographic group within Niger–Congo, and more specifically to the Senegambian branch. Unlike most Niger-Congo languages, Fula does not have tones.

It is spoken as a first language by the Fula people ("Fulani", Fula: Fulɓe) from the Senegambia region and Guinea to Cameroon, Nigeria, and Sudan and by related groups such as the Toucouleur people in the Senegal River Valley. It is also spoken as a second language by various peoples in the region, such as the Kirdi of northern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria.