Languages in Gambia

Gambia has an affluent selection of languages aside from English which has been a legacy of its colonial past. Nonetheless, local vernaculars persist attributed to tribal communities speaking their own native tongue. As a result, there are many different languages spoken in the country. Each of which are made distinctive by the tribal community it represents.

English is the official primary language of the country. Undoubtedly, learning the foreign tongue was ascribed to the colonial history of the nation which lasted for centuries. The language has been sustained even in the post-colonial period being the primary language of instruction in schools. Similarly, it is also utilized in formal settings such as business and commerce.

Although English is the official language of the land, ethnic dialects are still practiced by the tribes. Tribal groups are differentiated by how they speak so the number of ethnic affiliations corresponds to the number of vernaculars spoken across the territory. These include Jola-Fonyi, Karon, Mandika, Manjak, Maninkakan, N’Ko, Pulaar, Sirer Sine, Soninke, and Wolof.

The rich collection of Gambian native dialects comprises the Niger-Congo language category. More often than not, native vernaculars are commonly utilized in the everyday conversation of the locals in an informal setting. Most of them are generally passed on by means of oral tradition.

In general, Gambians are bilingual due to exposure in both foreign and ethnic languages. This fact only shows the versatile nature of the locals to be open to new learning while conserving what is genuinely learned. In furtherance of the bilingual orientation, the “Gambished” emerged which happens to be an informal vernacular that attempts to fuse English with specific native Gambian language.