EXCO 221 - Wolof & Senegambian Cultures

1 credit
Wolof, of the Niger-Congo language family’s West Atlantic branch, is a language of science, art, faith, and daily life in Senegambia (the Senegal, Sine, Saloum, Gambia, Casamance, and Geba river basins), used in modern Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and by migrant communities in West Africa and worldwide.

Sharing elements with other West Atlantic languages, Wolof also borrows from Mande, Berber, Arabic, Portuguese, French, and English and has shaped linguistic creoles including Hassaniyyah, Berdianu, Ayisyen, and AAVE. As such, Wolof and Senegambian cultures have informed syncretist, Diasporic, anti-imperialist, Pan-Africanist, Afrofuturist, and liberatory thought.

With grammar manuals as our foundation, we will explore connections between language and culture that include: 1) being-in-time and a verb system prioritizing aspect over tense; 2) eight noun classes - based on phonology, meaning, and word origin; 3) phrasal emphases conveyed by syntax and social intersubjectivity rather than vocal pitch or volume.

This collaborative and remote-accessible course uses self-directed study, discussions, and asynchronous exercises to situate the language in historical and cultural context and improve grammar, oral expression, and aural comprehension across multiple media. At semester’s end, students will have a basic vocabulary, a command of fundamental grammar, and insight into the contexts in which Wolof is used.

Brandon County
brandon.county@gmail.com
Link to Syllabus
Link to Application