Fulani
Proper noun 1. A West African ethnic group: The Fulani are a widely dispersed pastoral and nomadic people, traditionally cattle herders, found across many countries in the Sahel and West Africa. 2. A language of West Africa: Fulani (also known as Fula, Fulfulde, or Pulaar) is a language of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family, spoken by the Fulani people and used as a lingua franca across a broad region.
- Referring to the people:
- Referring to the language:
- Demonym: The singular form for a person is "Fulani" (e.g., ), though "Fula" is also used. The plural remains "Fulani" or "Fula."
- Adjectival form: The term "Fulani" is commonly used attributively (e.g., , , ).
- Fula: An alternative name for both the ethnic group and the language.
- Fulfulde: Another common name for the language, particularly used in central and eastern regions.
- Pulaar: A name for the language variant spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania.
- Peul: The French-derived term for the Fulani people and language, commonly used in Francophone West Africa.
- Fula (for both the people and the language)
- Fulbe (an endonym, or name used by the people for themselves)
The term "Fulani" encompasses two primary, interrelated meanings: 1. Ethnographic: Refers to a large, trans-national ethnic group whose identity is closely tied to pastoralism, cattle, and Islam. 2. Linguistic: Refers to a continuum of dialects that form a major West African language. Its use as a lingua franca extends beyond the ethnic Fulani population.
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a family of languages of the Fulani of West Africa and used as a lingua franca in the sub-Saharan regions from Senegal to Chad; the best known of the West African languages
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a member of a pastoral and nomadic people of western Africa; they are traditionally cattle herders of Muslim faith