Languages ​​of Guinea

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Guinea is a multilingual country with many native West African languages spokenas the national language .

However, the official language of the Republic of Guinea is a language that was introduced under French rule : French . It remained the official language of the country even after its independence due to Guinea's continued close ties to France . It is the language of the state and public institutions. The national languages are the Fulani (also Peul) or the regional dialect Pulaar , the Malinke (or Maninka), the Koniake (or Konia), the Susu , the Kissi , the Guerze (or Kpelle) and the Toma . There are also more than 40 other national languages.

French as the official language

French is now used by 15 to 25% of the population. At the end of Ahmed Sékou Touré's reign in the early 1980s, French became the only language of instruction in schools again.

The use of French has expanded rapidly in Guinea over the last few decades, which is mainly at the expense of the national languages. In 2002, the number of speakers who now spoke French as their mother tongue was 2% of the total population. According to the Guinean authorities, a new estimate from 2007 showed a sharp increase in the number of speakers only in the last five years since 2002: the number of French speakers was already 21.1% and the number of those who spoke French was even 42.1%. In summary, 6 million people, or 63.2% of the total population, now have a partial or complete knowledge of the French language. The number of speakers of the national languages ​​is, however, falling.

West African languages

The Peul is mostly spoken in Central Guinea , the main center of which is Labé . In total, 32% of the population speak this language. The Malinke is mostly in Upper Guinea speaking, where the main center Kankan is. 16.2% of the population speak Malinke. The Susu is mostly spoken in Maritime Guinea , the capital of which is Conakry ; Conakry is also the capital of the country. Susu is spoken by 10% of the total population. The Koniake (6.8%), the Guerze (3.8%), the Kissi (3.5%) and the Toma (1.8%) are spoken in Forest Guinea . Guerze is spoken in Nzérékoré and Yomou . The Koniake is also in Nzérékoré, but the capital of the Koniake-speakers is Beyla; the kissi is spoken in Guéckédou and Kissidougou . After all, the Kono is a language used in southern Guinea, especially Lola .

The main languages ​​of the inhabitants of the capital Conakry are in descending order of speakers: Susu (Soso) with 42%, Pular (Peul) with 30%, Maninka with 13%, Koniake with 8%, Kissi with 4% , the Guerze with 4%, French with 2% and the Toma with 2%.

Writing systems

The national languages ​​are written with the help of several alphabets: the native N'Ko script , the Konia script , the Kpelle script , the Latin script since the French colonial period and the Arabic script since the arrival of Muslim missionaries from Arab countries .

The N'Ko -Alphabet is mainly from the Mandinka and other Mandevölkern used. In Beyla , the Konia alphabet is used for the Koniake . The Kpelle script is the native script of the Kpelle people .

After the political change of government in 1984, the Latin alphabet was standardized and used with the African reference alphabet and adopted as the national alphabet by decree ( no 19 / PRG of March 10, 1989). It is now used in education in the teaching of the national language.

The Arabic alphabet or the Ajami script was recently harmonized and normalized under the aegis of ISESCO ( Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture ) and UNESCO . It is mainly used by the Fulbe for their Pulaar language.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ La Francophonie dans le monde 2002-2003 , Haut Conseil de la Francophonie, Larousse, Paris, 2003
  2. ^ La Francophonie dans le Monde 2006-2007 Organization Internationale de la Francophonie, Nathan, Paris, 2007, p. 17 accessible sur http://www.francophonie.org/Rapport-du-Secretaire-general-de.html
  3. ↑ Selon une enquête d'Alpha Mamadou Diallo: Usages et images des langues en guinée , page 17, Alpha Mamadou Diallo, Université de Conakry.
  4. ↑ Diallo, Alpha Mamadou, Usages et images des langues en guinée , Université de Conakry. USAGES ET IMAGES DES LANGUES EN GUINÉE (PDF; 126 kB)
  5. ↑ Diallo, Amadou; Étude sur le rôle de l'éducation non formal dans la stratégie de réduction de la pauvreté (SRP) en Guinée , Ministère du Plan de la République de Guinée / GTZ, Conakry 3/2006. Etude sur le rôle de l'éducation non formal dans la Stratégie de Réduction de la Pauvreté (SRP) en Guinée (PDF; 373 kB)