Here we are with the Bedik from Bandafassi, in eastern Senegal.

A while back we had already featured a set of tales, told in Menik by Aminata Camara. Now here’s a first language course with a list of colors provided by Marie before we move on to the days of the week, and… to dirty words and insults!

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Access description sheet on Menik

Linguist: Adjaratou Oumar Sall
Image & sound: Muriel Lutz assisted by Cheikh Tidiane Sall
Translation: Marcel Camara
Editing: Caroline Laurent

Reminder: Menik is a Niger-Congo language (North Atlantic branch, West Atlantic group, Tenda subgroup). It separates into three dialects: Banapas, Biwol and Bëñolo. The filming took place in Bandafassi, area of Kedougou, in Banapas dialect.

The number of people who speak Menik is difficult to assess, and we have been provided with two different estimations: in 2002, the Christian NTM (New Tribes Mission) missionaries, who were the first to work on the language, estimated there were 3380 Bedik living in Senegal. In 2009, the subprefecture of Bandafassi estimated under 1000 the number of Menik speakers in the area of Kedougou.

With a few thousand speakers at the most, Menik can clearly be considered as endangered on a relatively short term. However, it is observed that the language is still being handed down to the young generations despite the fact that a majority of people in these villages speaks fluent Fula and French, used daily. Speakers of Menik, although perfectly accustomed to the environing culture and having a great sense of adaptability to the languages they’re in contact with, are linked with a strong feeling of identity thus protecting their language to a certain extent.