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Southern Songhay Languages
Southern Songhay is the more populous branch of the Songhay languages, centered on the Niger River, including Timbuktu and the old capital of Gao. It includes Zarma (Djerma), a major language of Niger. Languages The languages are, approximately from upstream to downstream: * Koyra Chiini * Humburi Senni * Tondi Kiini *Koyraboro Senni * Songhoyboro Ciine * Zarma * Dendi Classification The subclassification of the Southern Songhay languages is problematic. Some researchers have provisionally classified it into Eastern and Western clades, but Heath 2005 described shortcomings of this model, and Nicolaï 1981 cautiously refrained from proposing to classify Southern Songhay into two or three divisions. The proposed western division contains Djenné Chiini and–most prominently– Koyra Chiini (KCh) (meaning "town language"), which is the local language of the historically eminent university town of Timbuktu in Mali (Tumbutu). The proposed Eastern division contains the re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niger River
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Niger Delta (or the Oil Rivers), into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeded by the Nile and the Congo River. Its main tributary is the Benue River. Etymology The Niger has different names in the different languages of the region: * Fula: ''Maayo Jaaliba'' * Manding: ''Jeliba'' or ''Joliba'' "great river" * Tuareg: ''Egerew n-Igerewen'' "river of rivers" * Songhay: ''Isa'' "the river" * Zarma: ''Isa Beeri'' "great river" * Hausa: ''Kwara'' * Nupe: ''Èdù'' * Yoruba: ''Ọya'' "named after the Yoruba goddess Ọya, who is believed to embody the river" * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koyraboro Senni
Koyraboro Senni (Koroboro Senni, Koyra Senni or Gao Senni) is a member of the Songhay languages of Mali and is spoken by some 400,000 people along the Niger River from the town of Gourma-Rharous, east of Timbuktu, through Bourem, Gao and Ansongo to the Mali– Niger border. The expression "''koyra-boro senn-i''" denotes "the language of the town dwellers", as opposed to nomads like the Tuareg people and other transhumant people. Although Koyraboro Senni is associated with settled towns, it is a cosmopolitan language which has spread east and west of Gao, to the Fula people living at the Mali–Niger border and to the Bozo people of the Niger River. East of Timbuktu, Koyra Senni gives way relatively abruptly to the closely related Koyra Chiini Koyra Chiini (, figuratively "town language"), or Western Songhay, is a member of the Songhay languages spoken in Mali by about 200,000 people (in 1999) along the Niger River in Timbuktu and upriver from it in the towns of Dir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hombori
Hombori is a small town and rural commune in the Cercle of Douentza in the Mopti Region of Mali. The commune contains 25 villages and in the 2009 census had a population of 23,099. The town lies just to the north of the Hombori Tondo mesa on the R15 highway linking Mopti and Gao. Humburi Senni Songhay and Fulfulde are spoken in Hombori. There is a large Tuesday weekly market in the town. Climate Hombori lies on the border between a hot arid climate (Köppen ''BWh'') and a hot semi-arid climate (''BSh''). Almost all the rainfall occurs between late June and the middle of September.. The mean annual rainfall in the period 1950 to 2007 was but there are large year-to-year variations. The mean air temperature is with the highest average occurring during May afternoons () and the lowest during January mornings (). The provision of drinking water in the commune is difficult as there is no continuous aquifer which can be tapped by deep wells. Sites and fame The town is known for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Songhay Empire
The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its leading ethnic group and ruling elite, the Songhai. Sonni Ali established Gao as the capital of the empire although a Songhai state had existed in and around Gao since the 11th century. Other important cities in the empire were Timbuktu and Djenné, conquered in 1468 and 1475 respectively, where urban-centered trade flourished and to the south is the north Akan state of Bonoman. Initially, the empire was ruled by the Sonni dynasty (–1493), but it was later replaced by the Askia dynasty (1493–1901). During the second half of the 13th century, Gao and the surrounding region had grown into an important trading center and attracted the interest of the expanding Mali Empire. Mali conquered Gao towards the end of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bariba Language
Bariba, also known as Baatonum (also Baatombu, Baatonu, Barba, Baruba, Berba and a number of various other names and spellings), is the language of the Bariba people of Benin and Nigeria and was the language of the state of Borgu. It is primarily spoken in Benin, but also across the border in adjacent Kwara State and Niger State, Nigeria, and some Bariba are in Togo and Burkina Faso. Welmers (1952) reported the Bariba language as spoken in the cities of Nikki, Benin, Nikki, Parakou, Kandi, Benin, Kandi, and Natitingou. Names The language can be known by different names: *the Bariba people call their language Baatɔnum; *the Yoruba people call the language Baruba; *the Hausa people refer to the language as Borganci (also spelled Borganchi) after Borgu where it is spoken; *the names in the Busa language (Mande), Busa language and the Boko language are Borgu and Borgunya. Other names include Barba or Berba. One person who speaks Bariba is called Baatɔnu and two or more persons or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Djerma People
The Zarma people are an ethnic group predominantly found in westernmost Niger. They are also found in significant numbers in the adjacent areas of Nigeria and Benin, along with smaller numbers in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Sudan.Zarma people Encyclopædia Britannica In Niger, the Zarma are often considered by outsiders to be of the same ethnicity as the neighboring Songhai proper, although the two groups claim differences, having different histories and speaking different dialects. They are sometimes lumped together as the Zarma-Songhay or Songhay-Zarma. The Zarma people are predominantly |
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital district growing at a slower rate than the country as a whole, which has the world's highest fertility rate. The city is located in a pearl millet growing region, while manufacturing industries include bricks, ceramic goods, cement, and weaving. History Niamey was probably founded in the 18th century and originated as a cluster of small villages (Gaweye, Kalley, Maourey, Zongo and Foulani Koira).Geels, Jolijn, (2006) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Niger'', pgs. 93-113 Niamey was of little importance until the French developed it as a colonial centre in the late 1890s. The town, then with an estimated population of some 1,800, was chosen as the capital of the newly created Military Territory of Niger in 1905, however, the capital was shifted to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koyra Chiini Language
Koyra Chiini (, figuratively "town language"), or Western Songhay, is a member of the Songhay languages spoken in Mali by about 200,000 people (in 1999) along the Niger River in Timbuktu and upriver from it in the towns of Diré, Tonka, Goundam and Niafunké as well as in the Saharan town of Araouane to its north. In this area, Koyra Chiini is the dominant language and the '' lingua franca'', although minorities speaking Hassaniya Arabic, Tamasheq and Fulfulde are found. Djenné Chiini , the dialect spoken in Djenné, is mutually comprehensible, but has noticeable differences, in particular two extra vowels ( and ) and syntactic differences related to focalisation. East of Timbuktu, Koyra Chiini gives way relatively abruptly to another Songhay language, Koyraboro Senni Koyraboro Senni (Koroboro Senni, Koyra Senni or Gao Senni) is a member of the Songhay languages of Mali and is spoken by some 400,000 people along the Niger River from the town of Gourma-Rharous, east of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dendi Language
Dendi is a Songhay language used as a trade language across northern Benin (along the Niger River. It forms a dialect cluster with Zarma language, Zarma and Koyraboro Senni but it is heavily influenced by Bariba language, Bariba. Dendi has been described as a four-Tone (linguistics), tone language.Joe Salmons, ''Accentual change and language contact: Comparative survey and a case study of early Northern Europe'' Distribution Dendi is mainly spoken in Northern Benin, but also in other parts of Benin, and neighbouring countries. The Dendi people are the main group in the Departments of Alibori, Borgou, Donga Department, Donga, and Atakora Department, Atakora. In Nigeria, the Dendi people are found in Bordering States (Kebbi, Kwara, Niger State, Niger, and Sokoto State, Sokoto), and in other parts of Nigeria. They are usually referred by the Hausa language, Hausa name Dendawa (which is also used for the Songhai people). Writing system The grave accent, the acute accent and the mac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Songhoyboro Ciine
Songhoyboro Ciine or Songhay Ciiné ( or ) is an upriver dialect of the southern Songhay dialect of Niger. It is spoken mostly in the northwestern corner of Niger's Tillaberi region, an area known as Songhay: from Gorouol, a border town with Mali, down to the towns of Tera, Anzourou, Namari Goungou and Say. Due to the high mutual intelligibility with the prestige dialect of Zarma in Niamey, it is common for Songhoyboro Ciine speakers to use the words "Zarma" and "Songhay" interchangeably when referring to their language. Songhoyboro Ciine is not, however, intelligible with Koyraboro Senni Koyraboro Senni (Koroboro Senni, Koyra Senni or Gao Senni) is a member of the Songhay languages of Mali and is spoken by some 400,000 people along the Niger River from the town of Gourma-Rharous, east of Timbuktu, through Bourem, Gao and A ... Songhai dialect of Gao in Mali. Some use the Peulh word "kado" (meaning; "stranger") to address this dialect although many of the dialec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tondi Songway Kiini documented the existence of Tondi Songway Kiini in 1998.
Tondi Songway Kiini is a variety of Southern Songhai spoken in several villages in the area of Kikara, Mali, about 120 km west of Hombori. Westerners The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania. References * Jeffrey Heath, 2005. ''Tondi Songway Kiini: Reference Grammar and TSK–English–French Dictionary'' Songhay languages Languages of Mali {{ns-lang-stub ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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