Below are some non-comprehensive correspondence tables for non-verbal copula constructions across the four major Manding varieties.
To discuss the contents of this topic and table, please use the dedicated discussion topic.
| Marker | Bambara | Jula | Maninka | Mandinka | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentative | don | lo | le | le mu | Sa don Sa lo Sa le Saa le mu “It’s a snake” |
| Qualitative (Verbs) | ka/man | ka/man | ka/man | * | N ka kɛnɛ N ka kɛnɛ N ka kɛndɛ (N kendeyaata le) ‘I am healthy’ |
| Equative | ye … ye | ye … ye | ye … (le) di | mu… (le) ti | Adama ye karamɔgɔ ye Adama ye karamɔgɔ ye Adama ye karamɔɔ di Adama mu karamoo ti ‘Adama is a teacher’ |
| Situative | bɛ | bɛ | ye | be | Sita bɛ yan Sita bɛ yan Sita ye yan Sita be jaŋ ‘Sita is here’ |
Notes
- Bambara = standard Malian Bambara
- Jula = standard Burkinabè Jula
- Maninka = standard Guinean Maninka
- Mandinka = standard Senegambian Mandinka
*= absent