Wolof (people)
| Wolof | |
|---|---|
| Population: | 6.4 million |
| Significant population in: | Senegal , Gambia , Mauritania |
| Language: |
Wolof , French (Senegal and Mauritania), English (Gambia), Arabic (Mauritania) |
| Religion: |
Sunni Islam (99.49%), Christianity , other religions |
| Related ethnic groups: | Lebou |
The Wolof [ wɔlɔf ] (German also Joloffen ) is an ethnic group in Senegal , Gambia and Mauritania . Their native language is also called Wolof .
The term “Wolof” is used both for the people and for their language and for things and circumstances from their culture and tradition.
In Senegal, the Wolof are the largest ethnic group in the country. They account for about 40% (about 6.4 million people) of the total population. The Wolof living in Senegal concentrate on the region from Dakar to Saint-Louis and west and south of Kaolack .
In Gambia about 15% of the population (approx. 200,000 people) are Wolof, although in the capital Banjul alone about every second is a Wolof. Although the Wolof represent the vast majority in Banjul, they are only in the minority compared to the Mandinka people , who make up around 40% of the total Gambian population.
In the southern coastal region of Mauritania there is a minority of the Wolof: They are represented in this country with around seven percent of the population (approx. 185,000 people).
Since Wolof is also the most important local lingua franca in Senegal and Banjul in particular, it is difficult in these regions to distinguish between people who belong to the actual Wolof ethnic group and people who have adopted Wolof as their quasi-native language. After all, in Senegal around 80% of the locals speak Wolof, and among those who do not belong to the Wolof ethnic group, many speak the Wolof language perfectly like an "ethnic native speaker".
In the older French-language literature you can also find the spelling “ Ouolof ” instead of “Wolof”. In some English-language publications, especially those that refer to the Gambian Wolof, you will also find the spelling “ Wollof ”, because this spelling tends to lead to the correct pronunciation of the word in English native speakers. In publications from the 19th century and before you can also encounter the spelling “Volof” or “Olof”. The spellings “Jolof”, “Jollof” and “Dyolof” also appear very rarely.
Culture
In the Senegambian kitchen the Wolof have left their mark. The fish dish Thieboudienne and the rice dish Benachin ( Joloffreis ) in particular come from their food culture.
literature
- Gabriele Aïsha Bichler: Bejo, Curay and Bin-bim? The language and culture of the Wolof in Senegal . In: European University Writings . tape 90 . Peter Lang Verlagsgruppe, Frankfurt am Main 2003, ISBN 3-631-39815-8 (with attached textbook Wolof).
- Michel Malherbe, Cheikh Sall: Parlons Wolof - Langue et culture . L'Harmattan, Paris 1989, ISBN 2-7384-0383-2 .
- Arame Fal, Rosine Santos, Jean Léonce Doneux: Dictionnaire wolof-français (suivi d'un index français-wolof) . Karthala, Paris 1990, ISBN 2-86537-233-2 .
- Geoffrey Gorer: Africa dances - Secret Africa and its dances . Scherz, Bern 1950 (reference to the Wolofs).
- Cheikh Anta Diop: Precolonial Black Africa . Lawrence Hill Books, New York 1987, ISBN 1-55652-088-3 (Origin of the Wolof ethnic groups and other African peoples).