Bamana

Language Information:

IU availability: Frequently offered

Native Speakers:_{4 million first language speakers, 10 million second language speakers, and 80% of 20 million Mali population could use Bamana at different levels.}

Area: Central Southern Mali

Language Family:_{Niger-Congo(not sure) >> Mande >> Western Mande ..... >> Manding >> Eastern Manding >> Mande-Dyula >>}

Bamana, also known as Bamanankan, is part of the Mande language family. Bamana is one of the most widely spoken languages in West Africa and is used by more than 15 million people, primarily in Mali, where it can be heard on the radio, in government offices, and in schools. It is also spoken by significant segments of the population in Burkina Faso and northern Côte-d’Ivoire, where it is known as Juula, as well as in Guinea-Conakry and Gambia, where it is called Malinké or Maninka. Additional speakers of Bamana live in Senegal. Find out more about Bamana (also known as Bambara) on Omniglot and Wikipedia. Find free online study materials on “101 Languages”.

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