Language Information

Wolof is the principal language of Senegal, in westernmost Africa. There it is spoken by about 3½ million people, while another 150,000 speakers are to be found in Mauritania, and 75,000 in Gambia. Wolof belongs to the West Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages.

Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal.

Family: Niger-Congo
Subgroup: Western Sudanic
Branch: West Atlantic

Writing Sample

Translation

One evening a judge found in a book that everyone who had a little head and a long beard was a fool. Now the judge had a little head and a long beard, so he said to himself, '~I cannot increase the size of my head, but I will shorten my beard." He hunted for the scissors, but could not find them. Without further ado he took half of his beard in his hand and put the other half into the candle and burnt it. When the flame reached his hand he let go, and all the beard was burned. Thus the judge felt ashamed, for he had proved the truth of what was written in the book.