Here are some everyday expressions in Baynunk, taught by Fallou Coly. Baynunk is spoken in Casamance (Senegal), as well as neighbouring Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, and belongs to the big Niger-Congo family (North-Atlantic branch, Tenda-nyun group)

In 2006 website Ethnologue.com estimated the number of speakers of Baynunk at 6,200. According to UNESCO criteria, it thus qualifies to be considered as an endangered language. Baynunk is one of the 17 languages benefiting from the codification and recognition program for minority languages initiated in the 1970’s in Senegal.

Sentimental collectors will be able to complete their multilingual collection of “I love you’s”, already comprising Henriette’s memorable “mi tonda wé” in the Mpongwe language of Gabon…

As always, French, English and Spanish translations are available on the side of the screen, as well as the very distinctive script of this language.

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Linguist: Sokhna Bao-Diop

Image & sound: Muriel Lutz, assisted by Cheikh Tidiane Sall

Editing: Caroline Laurent

Video created within the ANR Sénélangues project