₦airaland Forum

Bororojo: because Nigeria is very diverse, and people are highly mobile, the guinea system will not work....
In order to expand/develop the Fulfulde- two things need to be done.

1- standardization (without this, everything will do will continue to be local)
2- Mass media. Nothing revives / broadens a language as much as being able to see a movie in your language, listen to the news in your language, the radio in your language, newspapers in your language.

I can bet you with the implementation of these two things- you will see Fulanis who have lost Fulfulde, going back to their language.
In Nigeria's own case, regionalization will also help- (The "One North" Policy is part of what killed Fula in the North-West"

Good idea, as long as they still call themselves Fulbe and retain part of the culture, there is hope. If the incentive to learn the language is there they will go for it. It's tough when everyone around you abandons their language for Hausa and have you hold on to it. I bet Fulanis have a good reputation in the North West due to this blending.
In Guinea , one of the reason others dislike Fulbe is that we refuse blatantly to speak any other language but ours or French even when we immigrate elsewhere. I've seen Fulbe born and raised in Conakry that do not speak Susu at all. Because we usually have our own neighborhoods everywhere we go. Now days there is a new trend in Conakry, everyone speaks or understands Pulaar. The Susu are fond of mocking Fulbe for loosing the 2010 elections and they prefer doing in Pulaar LOL. Plus speaking Pulaar can make the difference between lowering the price at the market or walking home empty handed
PS: Did you know that Omar Sy, the French comedian of Senegalese descent speaks Pulaar? He was born and raised in France.

Bororojo: hmmn, brother heavy Wolofization is going on in Seegal, even their Pular is now spoken with Wolof accents, with many Wolof words as well.... I can show you if u want to see... but they are still no4, behind those 3 countries....
Also, you were right the Kebbi/Zamfara/Sokoto Fulfulde is the Western Niger variety. Adamawaare is actually closer to Gombe/Bauchi/Yobe, than it is to Sokoto - Kebbi

The problem is when others tribes willingly give up their language for that of the majority. In the case of Senegal, the Diola, Maninka and specially the Serer have almost abandoned their language in favor of Wolof. But Pulaar is still significant and recently I have seen program in Pulaar on the national television. Ngalou is a popular show, here is a link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmQnqds8XLA . The comments on seneweb are harsh at time, but it is what it is. If one has to bear heavy criticism and hatred to keep his language, then so be it. After all , we are Fulbe, being able to support hardship is part of Pulaaku.

Macky Sall is also not shy of speaking Pulaar in public , same for his ministers. He made people comfortable. Wolof still remain the language used by everyone, if anything it will replace French which I truly don't mind, but Pulaar will always be alive in Senegal. Here is Macky talking about it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhuDDy2mMuU . He explains clearly the problem confronted by Pulaar speakers. "Je m'oppose a l'uniformisation culturelle et linguistique."

It is from a Senegalese/Mauritanian that I first saw scientific manuals in biology and astronomy in Pulaar. Here is his blog, I have him on facebook, he posts new stuff all the time http://hammadi-jah.skyrock.com/ . I also have Peeral, a media network , they have a website with news in Pulaar, dictionaries and I hope they have the ambition of having a TV network http://www.peeral.com/.
Plus when Fulbe of Senegal(here I am putting all Pulaar speakers in it) leave Senegal and immigrate let's say in France, the household language becomes Pulaar, not Wolof. I know a Wolof girl who got married recently to a Pullo, all her facebook posts are in Pulaar now. .

Bororojo: wow, so you have been a member here since 2010!!

Indeed. I came here after meeting some Nigerians in my college campus.
But as you can see I come here rarely, just once in a while.

Bororojo: Well, maybe it is better that most of the newer generation dont know them like you said.....
I know Wolarbe (Bolaaro) from Burkina, and they always call me their slave, when i mention my clan . Then i hit back... (And hard) and we all laugh in the end.

I've looked up the internet about the names of the clans you mentioned. Like I told Fulaman, I know of four clans, the Ururbe, the Dayebe, Ferobe and Dialloube. All of these have subgroups. The Ba for example are members of the Urube.
Now here is what I found, the Wollarbe you mentioned are known as Dayebe, then you have the Ururbe, the Ferobe or Sow and the Yirlabe or Yillabe. Maybe the Diallo last name is of the Yillabe. What is for sure is their patronym is more common than any other one among Fulbe. The Wollarbe or Dayebe are widespread in Mali I assume, they populated Mamou and Dalaba in Guinea. It is from them that the rulers of Futa Jallon were picked. Timbo and Fougoumba, respectively the seat of political and religious power were controlled by them at the time of the kingdom.

Bororojo: very nice, you see this is what I always tell my people...
we dont have to always wait for foreigners to come and do everything for us... just this week BBC launched their 10 minute or so daily bulletin TV station in the Hausa language, and everyone was crying foul... "oh the whites are here to divide us", "Oh, does this mean other languages are not important?" " Oh why are you only supporting some languages" "oh- this is unfair" bla bla.... forgetting that the interest of the british is different from the interest of your own people.........
Mnay Fulbe fro FJ from across the world listen to this station RFDI and it is 100% local content in Pulaar/Fulfulde... maybe if Europeans and Americans see that you are serious about speaking and developing your own language, they they might just lend a helping hand with the vast amount of resources at their disposal. but we surely don't have to wait on their behinds in order to start something for ourselves... it's not as if we are 100,000 people or something

I've always wondered why is it that the BBC does not have programs in Igbo or Yoruba despite having a larger significance in the diaspora compared to Hausa. It might be because Hausa hold on to their language and are not prone to abandon it for a foreign one. They should be proud of this. Who knows maybe one day, subject like Chemistry, Physics and other sciences will taught in Hausa if it's not already the case. In Senegal Abdou Salam Sall the former rector of the University Cheick Anta Diop has proposed translating all scientific manuals in Pulaar and Wolof. Imagine how fast illiteracy can be wiped out if these books are available in local languages? All the government would have to do is teach people how to read in their own language. That is a lot easier than having to teach how to read AND understand french.
In the 21st century, there is only one way for these languages to survive, promote them in the media and the educational system.

Here is a website http://www.ganndal.com/, they have infos the link for the radio is available. It's called Frequence Gandal, it gets all political at times. This is the "New York Radio" I was mentioning.

Here is a radio for Pottal Fii BHantal Futa Jallon UK, where pretty all Fulbe of Futa Jallon living in Europe met.
http://www.pottalfiibhantaluk.camp9.org/page-1253375

I was looking from Ohio but I can't find. They might have aborted it. Having too many of these media groups isn't good anyway. We can connect to two of three. So far I know of RFDI, Frequence Ganndal, and Potta Fi Bhantal Futa Jallon UK.

Bororojo: Omarbah, you mentioned RFDI, i must say i love it....i wish we had something like that too.....

Tabital Pulaaku was planning on a radio, don't know what happened to it. Fulbe have even radios in the US. They have one in New York and Columbus as far as I know for the US.

Fulaman198: I won't give you my opinion on the matter but I will support whatever decision you make as my fellow Pullo brother. Good night brother.

I'm looking for a ɓiɗɗo Pullo as a wife. Plus my Yuuma has made it clear what she wants and a Muslim should not disappoint his mother.
ɗaanoɗen e Jam.

Fulaman198: It's always better to find someone who understands your culture from the very beginning. I don't want to say any more than that before the people on NL accuse me of being a tribalist and a purist again. I just don't want cultures to become Westernised.

I do understand your point of view. In Guinea it's not as tough though, since most people either speak or at least understand it. So if you marry a non Fula woman and let her know from the beginning what you want, you won't have any problem.

Fulaman198: It's a very beautiful song. It's music like this that makes me proud to be Pullo. Finatawa (tradition) is very important. Make sure your future children can also speak Pulaar/Fulfulde. Marry a Fulani woman, otherwise you will forget about kossam e lacciri, you will forget about lacciri e haako, you will forget what it means to be a Pullo.

I keep this to myself but I've sometimes seen Fulbe bros marrying women from England and France. I think to myself why? What could those women offer you that our own can't. It doesn't make sense......

some brothers actually succeed at bringing their wives into their culture though. Not later than two weeks ago, I saw a European girl married to a Fulani from Guinea telling Fulbe to teach their kids the language. I was chocked.
Finding a black woman in the west than is ready to promote your language is harder than finding a white one unless it is a first or second generation immigrant. I know it's weird, but that's how it is.

Fulaman198: Woooooooow what a great song:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWeDhAVNrYk&

reminds me of the background songs put on in "radio rurale" Futa Jallon at the time of Taarika at night.
I could seat outside, enjoy the freshness of the air and drink some Attaya tea.

does Gen Buhari speak Fulfude?

Poor quality though

For Fulaman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNSLMgxLGls

Bororojo: It's a good idea.
but of what benefit would it be, if it does not gain popularity? Which Fulani would happily exchange Juuma/Jumaare for Mawnde (big day) for example?
but you are right about what the Senegambians are doing., to promote Fulfulde as a language.

they want to eliminate as much as foreign influence on the language as they can.

Bororojo: True.
And both derived from Arabic

Here is what I picked up from research. Apparently, Fulbe students in Egypt have created different names for the days.
Arab Origin.......................création. .........................................
Altine.................... .............aaɓnde...............................................
Talaata...............................Mawbaare............................................
Alarba.................................Njeslaare.............................................
Alkamiisa..........................Naasaande...............................................
Aljumaa.............................Mawnde................................................
Aset.................................Hoore-biir.............................................
alet.................................Dewo-hoore-biir.........................

source:http://dudalpulaar.skyrock.com/53.html

How Senegambian brothers really promote the language. I am looking forward for the standardization so that we can all speak the proper Pulaar/Fulfulde the same way.

I did figure it out... lol
looks like the days are the same with minor differences in pronunciation.

Sorry Zone fulbe uses Kamaru and Adamawa interchangeably, I guess I got used to it.
In Futa Jallon it's :
Tenin
Talata,
Alarba,
Alkamissa
Juma
Assewe
Ala

Question to my Kamaru brothers, what are the days and months in the fulfulde you speak?

traditional hair style, Futa Jallon

Fulaman198: I agree 100%, well said. I am a believer of science, mathematics and engineering.

In this century, corporations will be the key, that's where we need to focus.

Bororojo: hmmn... mine is classified...
Maybe OmarBah will be willing to share.

you are a true Fulani

Fulaman198: Question for you both Bororojo and OmarBah.

What are you guys studying/doing for a career profession?

civil engineering.u?

Bororojo: Its only normal for them to be paranoid..... they know very well that they have marginalized a huge segment of their population for too long ..... Fulas who are more than 40% of Guinea are the only major group who haven't tasted power. Some malinke say "A Fulani woman will never carry a future president on her back"
so i can see why they are all trembling in their boots..... the Malinke's and theur susu partners in the axis of evil will pay in the future....short or long term, that day is coming...

well they fought one another in 1985 and the Malinke lost. The Malinke accused the Fulas of having collaborated with Conte to destroy them. I mean what did they expect, that Seku Ture would do so much dirt and have his men get away with it so easily? That's when all of the big Fula businessmen from neighboring countries came back, built banks and enterprises.
The Susu are also bitter because despite having had a Susu president, Conte, they all say that the Fula through cunning were able to achieve more than all the other groups put together.
LOL that comment on Fula women is funny. It's usually made by Susu and Malinke women because when their men become wealthy, they always have to have a Fula wife. It's jealousy.
Susus are not much trouble. The thing is , due to them being related to the Malinke (they are all Mande) , they have an affinity for the latter. Plus they are easily scared with the thought of being pushed out of Conakry. They tell them for example that if a Fula becomes president, we will chase them out of Conakry, claiming that we've bought almost all the land. The Fula influence there is large just like in Dakar where they control almost all the shops.
Sellu need to reassure people. As long as they will be scared of Fula coming to power, it won't do Guinea much good. The potential of the country is hampered by these minor conflicts.

Bororojo: Omar Bah, do you think Sellu Jallo will become the next president of Guinea?
.....tick-tock, tick-tock.... lol

I don't know, I certainly hope so. Most Fulas in Guinea are so into politics now days, they want power. It's like milk to them
It will be tough. I have friends, close friends who would do anything for me, that won't vote for Sellu. They claim if Fulanis of Guinea reach power, they know we will never relinquish it. So you have that paranoia. Sellu will need to move away from the ethnic grounds and convince people that we can build a better Guinea if he wants to get elected.
I, personally think ,we can have tremendous political and economical power without having one of us in power. I don't want Fulanis to focus on power. They need to focus on education, economic(building factories), research on science and above all improving and promoting our culture.

onila: northern Nigeria


my sister is also slim and gorgeous

and from what ethnic group you guys are from?
By they way, that's quite the signature you have there

the PUUTO is indeed beautiful and I like the fabrics on her

my history teacher in middle school in Guinea told me once that everyone in Hirnaage Africa are related somehow. Those that study the history of empires from Ghana to those of Futa Toro and Futa Jallon realized how true it is.
Takamba mentioned how in her tradition , Fulbe and Wolof have the same ancestor.
I wish Africans in general could be more united.

Fulaman198: You mean Fuunange?

In a way sort of. I see what you are saying where one ethnic group kind of makes fun of another right?

Sundiata Keita though is a Mande though right?

yes, that's what I meant.
Sundiata was a Mande but he had Fulbe as allies. The way he came to power had some everlasting and according to some devastating effects in West Africa.

there really isn't any conflicts between though. The head family of the Mosque of Labe is Yette Ba despite the city being overwhelmingly Diallo. It's something the Fulbe did to conform to the traditions of Mali empire.

In Guinea , it's the Fula and Diakanke since we received them In Futa Jallon after taking over from the Jallonke.

Fulaman198: Wow, I did not know that

It's called Sanakouya, a sort of playmate tradition, do you have it in funnaange?
It was initiated by Soundjata Keita, the founder of Mali empire.
The Serer and Toucouleur are Sanakou for example. A Serer is supposed to say whatever he wants to a Pullo, he is not supposed to take offense.