Manjak language

Manjak or Manjack (French: Mandjak, Mandyak; Portuguese: Manjaco) or Njak is a Bak language of Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The language is also known as Kanyop.

Manjak
Native toGuinea-Bissau, Senegal, and the Gambia
EthnicityManjack
Native speakers
310,000 (2006)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3mfv
Glottologmand1419

In 2006, the total number of speakers was estimated at 315,300, including 184,000 in Guinea-Bissau, 105,000 in Senegal and 26,300 in The Gambia.

Dialects

The Manjak dialects below are distinct enough that some might be considered separate languages.

  • Bok (Babok, Sarar, Teixeira Pinto, Tsaam)
  • Likes-Utsia (Baraa, Kalkus)
  • Cur (Churo)
  • Lund
  • Yu (Pecixe, Siis, Pulhilh)
  • Unhate (Binhante, Bissau)

The Manjak dialects listed by Wilson (2007) are[2]

  • Canchungo (kancuŋuʔ) – central dialect
  • Baboque (babɔk) (formerly Teixeira Pinto) – eastern dialect
  • Churo (cuur) – northern dialect
  • Pecixe (locally called pəhlihl; otherwise pəsiis), on an island to the south
  • Calequisse (kaləkiis), to the west of Canchungo

Writing system

The official spelling system for Manjak established by the Senegalese government is regulated by Decree No. 2005-983 of 21 October 2005.

Manjak alphabet (Senegal)
ABCDE ËFGHI JKLMN ÑŊOPR SŜTŢU WYZ
abcde ëfghi jklmn ñŋopr sŝtţu wyz

References
  1. Manjak at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Wilson, William André Auquier. 2007. Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

Further reading
  • Karlik, Jan (1972). A Manjako Grammar with Special Reference to the Nominal Group (PhD thesis). University of London.



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