beginning – end dohre – jehh/rach
cheap – expensive yormba – sehre
easy – difficult yormba – nahary
friend – enemy harit – mbargne
happy – unhappy contarn – mehr
in – out duga – gayna
left – right charmorgne – ndeyjohre
near – far jeague – sory
open – close oube – tayche
peace – war jarma – hareh
question – answer larch – torntu
safety – danger moitu – haiy
tall – short gouda – garta
up – down kow – shoofe
wide – narrow yartu – hertt
3 responses to “Opposites Attract”
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English to Wolof/French Dictionary now available for download:
http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/janga-laaka-wolof-dictionary/17265716
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Thank you. The source that I used for that list used the orthography created by Nyima Kantorek for her dictionary and phrasebook which is based on British English for spoken Gambian Wolof. I prefer the CLAD system myself and use it as much as possible. But since Wolof was never really a written language there is not a universally “official correct” spelling system for Wolof words so I try to offer alternate spellings from time to time…however, I do try to use the CLAD as often as possible because I think it has been proven to be a superior method.
Thanks again for your input and please offer your knowledge whenever you feel inclined to do so because I need all the help I can get! 🙂
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I think that using the official correct wolof spelling would be better for easier understanding. Then it would look like this:
beginning – ending (verb) : door/tammbali – jeex/mujj
cheap – expensive : yomb- jafe (“cher” is a French word”)
easy – difficult: jomb – jafe (naqari/naqadi means rather “unpleasant” than “difficult”)
friend – enemy: xarit b- – noon b-
happy – unhappy: beg – tiis (“kontaan” is a French word, while “mer” means “angry” and oppositum of “mer” could be “and ak sago”)
in-out: IMHO, untranslatable.
inside – outside: ci biir – ci biti
enter – get out: duggu – genn
left – right: cammoň – ndeyjoor
near – far: jege – sori
open – close (verb only): ubbi – téjj
peace – war: jamm -xare
“mooytu” is a verb meaning “avoid” . Safety is rather called “kaaraange”.
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Dalal ak jàmm,
Janga Wolof
Language & Culture of The Senegambia
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