Where are Mande languages spoken?

These languages are spoken in Western Africa: Gambia, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Liberia, Burkina-Faso, Nigeria and Benin.

Number of speakers (estimates)

We do not have, for the time being, any reliable estimates concerning the number of speakers. They vary significantly, between 6 and 10 millions according to Wikipedia.

Classification

Mande languages tree (click to enlarge)

The group of Mande languages has between 60 and 70 languages, depending on the source.

East Mande

South-East

Manon-Da

Mano

Guro-Yaure

Guro

Yaure (alternative name : yaouré)

Dan-Tura

Dan

Tura

Nwa-Beng

Mwan-Wan

Mwan

Wan

Gban-Beng

Beng

Gban (alternative names : gagu, gagou)

Bisa-Busa

Bissa

Samo-Busa

Samo

Matya Samo

Maya Samo

Southern Samo

Busa

Boko

Bokobaru

Busa

Kyenga

Shanga

West Mande

Central-West (Mandingue-Kpele)

Central Mande

Manding-Jogo

Jogo-Jeri

Jalkunan

Jeri Kuo

Jogo

Ligbi

Tonjon: extinct

Manding-Vai

Vai-Kono

Vai

Kᴐnᴐ

Manding-Mokole

Manding

Bolon

Jahanka

Sininkere

West Manding

Kagoro

Mandinka

Kita Maninkakan

Western Maninkakan

Xaasongaxango

East Manding

Marka

Bamana

Bamanankan

Jula

Southeastern Manding

Konyanka Maninka

Sankaran Maninka

Eastern Maninka

Manya

Maninka-Mori

Koro

Koyaga

Mahou

Forest Maninka

Wojenaka

Worodougou

Mokole

Kakabe

Kuranko

Lele

Mixifore

Susu-Yalunka

Susu

Yalunka

Southwest Mande

Kpelle

Mende-Looma

Looma

Mende-Bandi

Bandi

Mende-Loko

Mɛnde

Loko

Northwest (Samogo-Soninke)

Jo

Northwest

Soninke-Bobo

Bobo

Soninke

Langues Bozo

Hainyaxo

Tièma Cièwe

Tiéyaxo

Sorogaama

Samogo

Bankagooma

Dzùùngoo

Duungooma

Jowulu

Seeku

Comments on the classification

We have based our classification on the work of Dimmendaal (2008) and Williamson & Blench (2008)

For long, this group was classified within the group of Niger-Congo languages. However, Dimmendaal considers linguistic evidences to be insufficient to make such a connection and that for now it is more reasonable to regard Mande languages as an independent group.

Are Mande languages endangered?

This section will be developed subsequently.

Ethnographic elements

This section will be developed subsequently.

Linguistic details

This section will be developed subsequently.

Sources:

Gerrit Dimmendaal, “Language Ecology and Linguistic Diversity on the African Continent”, Language and Linguistics Compass 2/5:842. 2008.

Kay Williamson & Roger Blench, “Niger-Congo”, in Heine, Bernd and Nurse, Derek (eds) African Languages – An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University press (2000)