Below are some non-comprehensive tables laying out various Manding sound correspondences across the four major varieties.
To discuss this wiki post and the table within it, please post in this dedicated topic.
Initial Consonants
| Maninka | Jula | Bambara | Mandinka | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gb | gw | g | k | gbilin - gwili - girin - *kuli ‘heavy’ |
| gb | g | w | k | gbolo - golo - wolo - kulu ‘leather’ |
| k | c | c | k | kɛ - cɛ - cɛ - kee/kewo ‘man’ |
| k | k | k | k | kuda - kura - kura - kuta-wo / kutoo ‘new’ |
| l | l | d | l | la - la - da - laa ‘lay down’ loolu - looru - duuru - luulu ‘five’ |
| t | c | c | t | tɛ - cɛ - cɛ - te ‘between’ |
| w | ŋ | ŋ | ŋ | wonin - ŋɔni - ŋɔni - ŋaniŋ ‘thorn’ |
| y | y | j | y | yiri - yiri - jiri - yiri ‘tree’ |
Intervocalic Consonants
| Maninka | Jula | Bambara | Mandinka | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ∅ | g | g | ∅ | mɔɔ - mɔgɔ - mɔgɔ - moo ‘person’ |
| d | r | r | t | kɔdɔ - kɔrɔ - kɔrɔ - koto ‘old’ |
| r | l | l | r | kara - kala - kala - kara ‘sew’ |
Vowels
| Maninka | Jula | Bambara | Mandinka | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| e | e | e | i | kelen - kelen - kelen - kilin ‘one’ |
| ɛ | ɛ | ɛ | e | bɛrɛ - bɛlɛ - bɛlɛ - bere-wo / beroo ‘gravel; pebble’ |
| o | o | o | u | bolo - bolo - bolo - bulu ‘arm’ |
| ɔ | ɔ | ɔ | o | kɔdɔ - kɔrɔ - kɔrɔ - koto ‘under’ |
| -a | -a | -ɛ | -a | ɲa - ɲa - ɲɛ - ñaa ‘eye’ |
NOTES
- Bambara = standard Malian Bambara
- Jula = standard Burkinabè Jula
- Maninka = standard Guinean Maninka
- Mandinka = standard Senegambian Mandinka