Balanta language


Balanta is a group of two closely related Bak languages of West Africa spoken by the Balanta people.

Description

Balanta is now generally divided into two distinct languages; Balanta-Kentohe and Balanta-Ganja.

Balanta-Kentohe

The Balanta-Kentohe language is spoken by a total of 423,000 people on the north central and central coast of Guinea-Bissau as well as in the Gambia. Films and portions of the Bible have been produced in Balanta-Kentohe.
Ethnologue lists alternative names as Alante, Balanda, Balant, Balanta, Balante, Ballante, Belante, Brassa, Bulanda, Frase, Fora, Kantohe, Naga and Mane. The Naga, Mane and Kantohe dialects may be separate languages.

Balanta-Ganja

Balanta-Ganja is spoken by 86,000 people in the southwest corner of and the south of Senegal. Literacy is less than 1% for Balanta-Ganja. In September 2000, Balanta-Ganja was granted the status of a national language in Senegal, and as of then can now be taught in elementary school.
Ethnologue lists alternative names as Alante, Balanda, Balant, Balante, Ballante, Belante, Brassa, Bulanda, Fjaa, Fraase; dialects are Fganja and Fjaalib.

Grammar

Balanta has case prefixes and suffixes alternatively interpreted as a definite article dependent on the noun class.

Phonology

The following are the phonemes of the Balanta dialects

Consonants

Voiceless sounds are only heard in the Guinea Bissau dialect.

Vowels

Writing

In Senegal, Decree No. 2005-979 regulates the orthography of Balanta as follows:

Relevant literature