Fula language

Fulani
فولا (Arabic)
Peul (French)
Fulfulde 𞤊𞤵𞤤𞤬𞤵𞤤𞤣𞤫 ࢻُلْࢻُلْدٜ
Pulaar 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞥄𞤪 ݒُلَارْ
Pular 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪 بُۛلَر
Native toWestern Africa
RegionSahel
EthnicityFula
speakersL1: 37 million (2014–2021)[1]
L2: 2.7 million (2019)[1]
Latin
Adlam
Arabic (Ajami)
Official status
Official language in
Burkina Faso
Mali
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-1ff – Fulah
ISO 639-2ful – Fulah
ISO 639-3ful – inclusive code – Fulah
Individual codes:
fuc – Pulaar (Senegambia, Mauritania)
fuf – Pular (Guinea, Sierra Leone)
ffm – Maasina Fulfulde (Mali, Ghana)
fue – Borgu Fulfulde (Benin, Togo)
fuh – Western Niger Fulfulde (Burkina, Niger)
fuq – Central–Eastern Niger Fulfulde (Niger)
fuv – Nigerian Fulfulde (Nigeria)
fub – Adamawa Fulfulde (Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria)
fui – Bagirmi Fulfulde (CAR)
Glottologfula1264
Core and peripheral Fula-speaking regions. Note that most of these areas, with the exceptions of Senegal and Guinea, are not primarily Fula-speaking, as this map only shows the absolute numbers of speakers.
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox language with unknown parameter "official"

Fula (/ˈflə/ FOO-lə),[2] also known as Fulani (/fʊˈlɑːn/ fuul-AH-nee)[2] or Fulah[3][4] (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.

  1. ^ a b Fulani at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Pulaar (Senegambia, Mauritania) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Pular (Guinea, Sierra Leone) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Maasina Fulfulde (Mali, Ghana) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Borgu Fulfulde (Benin, Togo) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Western Niger Fulfulde (Burkina, Niger) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Central–Eastern Niger Fulfulde (Niger) at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    (Additional references under 'Language codes' in the information box)
  2. ^ a b Laurie Bauer, 2007, The Linguistics Student's Handbook, Edinburgh
  3. ^ "Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: ful". ISO 639-2 Registration Authority - Library of Congress. Retrieved 2017-07-04. Name: Fulah
  4. ^ "Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: ful". ISO 639-3 Registration Authority - SIL International. Retrieved 2017-07-04. Name: Fulah