Janga Wolof

Stative vs. Active Verbs

• Active Verbs: Indicate actions or processes (e.g., lekk – to eat).
• Stative Verbs: Indicate states or conditions (e.g., baax – to be good).
• Some verbs, such as toog, can be either active (to sit down) or stative (to be seated) depending on context.
• Quick Test: Only active verbs can be modified by the presentative -angi.

Verb Aspects and Voices

• Aspect Over Time: Wolof emphasizes whether an action is completed or ongoing rather than specific tenses.
• Voices in Wolof:
  • Active: Direct action by the subject.
  • Semi-active: Partially active but not fully direct.
  • Passive: Formed by adding -u to the verb or using the 3rd person plural construction.

Imperative Forms

• Singular Commands:
  • Add -al if the verb ends in a consonant.
  • Add -l if the verb ends in a vowel or -wal for monosyllabic verbs ending in a vowel.
  • Example: Waxal! (“Speak!”).
• Plural Commands: Add -leen (e.g., Waxleen! “Speak, all of you!”).
• Negative Commands: Use bul (singular) or buleen (plural).
  • Example: Bul wax! (“Don’t speak!”).

Present Continuous/Presentative (Mu ngi)

• Formation: Subject + angi + verb/object.
  • Example: Maa ngi koy jàng (“I am studying it”).
• Usage:
  • Indicates ongoing actions: Mu ngi lekk (“He is eating”).
  • Indicates presence or existence: Kër a ngi (“Here is a house”).

Completion Marker (Na)

• Formation: Subject + verb + na.
  • Example: Wax naa (“I have spoken”).
• Usage:
  • For completed actions: Lekk nga (“You have eaten”).
  • For states with stative verbs: Ceeb bi neex na (“The rice is good”).
• Negative: Add -ul to the verb: Waxuma (“I did not speak”).

Complement & Object Predicator (La)

• Formation: Subject + complement + la.
  • Example: Ameriken laa (“I am American”).
• Object Emphasis: Cin laa bëgg (“It is a cauldron that I want”).

Explicative (Dafa)

• Formation: Subject + dafa + verb/object.
  • Example: Dafa tang (“It is hot”).
• Usage:
  • Explains or emphasizes: Damaa sonn (“I am tired”).
  • Causal response: Dafa tang (“It is hot” [and that’s why]).
• Negative: Use dul: Dafa dul neex (“It is not good”).

Future Tense (Dina)

• Formation: Subject + dina + verb.
  • Example: Dinaa ko def (“I will do it”).
• Habitual Actions: Use dina with di: Dinaay lekk (“I eat habitually”).
• Negative: Replace dina with du: Duma dem (“I will not go”).

Minimum Verb Construction Pronouns (Mu)

• Simplified Conjugation: Use when context provides tense and mode.
  • Example: Ma dem (“I went”).
• Uses:
  • Narratives: Ma jàng, ma lekk, ma dem (“I studied, ate, and left”).
  • Subordinate Clauses: Xale bi nga indi (“The child you brought…”).

Negation

• With -ul: Negates completed actions.
  • Example: Waxuma (“I did not speak”).
• With du: Denies ongoing or future actions.
  • Example: Duma dem (“I will not go”).
• Special Negatives:
  • -atul: “No longer”: Amatul sama caabi (“He no longer has my key”).
  • -agul: “Not yet”: Pareeguma (“I am not ready yet”).

Past Time Marker (-oon)

• Formation: Add -oon (after consonants) or -woon (after vowels).
  • Example: Waxoon naa (“I spoke”).
• Usage:
  • Indicates completed past actions: Lekk woon (“He had eaten”).

Questions and Responses with Verbs

• Form open questions using subject emphasis pronouns and question words.
  • Example: Kan moo dem? (“Who left?”).
• Use predicates like la to emphasize responses.
  • Example: Ameriken laa (“I am American”).

Additional Verb Constructions

• Obligation/Optative (Na nga):
  • Example: Nanga dem! (“May you go!”).
  • Expresses wishes or politeness.
• Verb Chains:
  • Example: Demal toog! (“Go and sit down!”).
• Progressive Actions:
  • Combine dafa with di to indicate habitual or ongoing actions: Damay dem (“I am going”).

Exercises

• Practice forming imperative, continuous, and past tense verbs.
• Translate sentences with positive and negative forms.
• Construct responses using la and dafa structures.