Language Information

Malinke is another important language of West Africa, spoken by about 3 million people in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, and Ivory Coast. It belongs to the Mande branch of the Niger--Congo family of languages. Malinke is closely related to Bambara, of Mali, and Dyula, of Mali, Ivory Coast, and Upper Volta, the three often combined under the single term Mandingo.

Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal.

Family: Niger-Congo
Subgroup: Western Sudanic
Branch: Mande

Writing Sample

Translation

When God had finished creating the sky and the earth, he put trees, animals, and human beings on the earth. Then, when he wanted to cover the surface with water (oceans, streams, and rivers), he told all the animals to close their eyes. Every animal closed its eyes except for the goat. The goat, instead of covering its eyes with its bands, as everyone else was doing, spread its fingers in order to look through them. Thus it observed God putting nasty fish into the waters, dangerous snakes, alligators, hippopotamuses, and monsters. Since that day the goat has lost confidence in the water, and does not dare, under any circum-stances, to go into the water, because it knows what there is in it.