Unit 2: Lamin Dampha

Videos
Community Images
Pedagogical Activities

Metadata

TitleConversation with Lamine Dampha 
InterviewerAblaye Diakite, Fallou Ngom, Bala Saho
SubjectIslamic education, Quranic teachings, learning and using Mandinka Ajami
ContentLamin Dampha was born and raised in 1978 in Jaara-Japine, located in the South Bank region of The Gambia. He had his Quranic and advanced Islamic education at the school of his father in Japine. He started using Mandinka Ajami after he mastered the Arabic alphabet in the Quranic school.  He was taught the grassroots version of Mandinka Ajami by his father, and he speaks both Mandinka and Arabic. He serves now as a Quranic teacher and imam in Japine. In this interview, Mr. Dampha discusses how children are taught the Quran at the school where he teaches. He also talks about his everyday use of Mandinka Ajami in communication with friends and family members, and in professional communication and letter writing. Mr. Dampha also discusses some historical documents written in Mandinka Ajami that he has collected, and their broader significance. 
LanguageMandinka
ScriptMandinka Ajami
LocationBrusubi, Serrekunda, the Gambia
Pedagogical content/applicationIncludes relevant linguistic, stylistic and cultural skills as identified in our assessment guidebook/ ACTFL guidelines
Access condition and copyrightThese materials are subject to copyright and are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For use, distribution or reproduction beyond these terms, contact Professor Fallou Ngom (fngom@bu.edu).
ContributorsFallou Ngom, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Bala Saho, Ablaye Diakite, Mamadou Aw Ndiaye, Ousmane Cisse, Alison Parker, and Frank Antonelli.
Required citation informationFallou Ngom (PI), Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Bala Saho, Ablaye Diakite, Mamadou Aw Ndiaye, Ousmane Cisse, and other contributors. 2022. “Conversation with Lamin Dampha.” https://sites.bu.edu/ria/mandinka/mandinka-unit-2/

Videos

Mandinka with English Subtitles

Mandinka with Latin Script Subtitles

Community Images

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  • Bertil Herding Sila-baa, Bijilo dinkiraa, Kombo, Gambiyaa. || Bertil Herding Highway, Bijilo area, Kombo, The Gambia.

  • Ablaay Jakite niŋ Bala Saho be Bala la kooridaa bundaa to, Burusubi, Seerekundaa, Gambiyaa. || Ablaye Diakité and Bala Saho outside of Bala’s home, Brusubi, Serrekunda, The Gambia.

  • Ablaay Jakite niŋ Laamin Danfaa Ajami kisi-kisiroo tumoo la Bala la suwoo kono, Burusubi, Serekundaa, Gambiyaa. || Ablaye Diakité and Lamin Dampha during the interview on Ajami at Bala’s home, Brusubi, Serrekunda, The Gambia.

  • Serekundaa-Banjuuluu Sila-baa, Gambiyaa. || Serrekunda-Banjul Highway, The Gambia.

  • Arch 22, Banjuuluu sila baa miŋ be bota Seerekundaa ka taa Banjul, Gambiyaa. || Arch 22, Banjul highway coming from Serrekunda, The Gambia.

  • Bankoo la Dipiteelu Buŋ-baa, Banjuuluu, Gambiyaa. || The National Assembly Building, Banjul, The Gambia.

  • Fallu Ngom niŋ Bala Saho kisi-kisiroo tumoo, Burusubi, Seerekundaa, Gambiyaa. || Fallou Ngom and Bala Saho during the fieldwork, Brusubi, Serrekunda, The Gambia.

  • Neema Kuta la luntaŋ Jiyandiri dula, Gunjur, Kombo, Gambiyaa. || Nema Kuta, Ecolodge, Gunjur, Kombo, The Gambia.

  • Siloo muŋ ka bo Banjul ka taa Bakaaw i ka muŋ kili ‘Cape Point’. || Banjul-Bakau road called Cape Point Road.

  • Jaatakendiyaa tabuloo, Birikaama: “I si i faŋ tankandi Koronaa kuraŋ diŋo ma!” || A health billboard, Birikama: “Be aware of Corona Virus!”

Pedagogical Activities

Glossary
Notes
Exercises
Mandinka Keyboard

Glossary

  1. Alkuraanoo: The Quran
  2. Almaamoo: Imam
  3. Banku, bankoo: Earth, land, country
  4. Basoo: A sitting or praying mat made from straw or tree leaves
  5. Birikaama, Brikama: The second biggest city in The Gambia
  6. Bulu, buloo: Hand
  7. Bundaa: Door, entrance, gate
  8. Cosaano, aadoo: Culture, history, tradition; from Wolof cosaan
  9. Deemalaa: Hunter, fisherman (ñee deemalaa)
  10. Deemoo: Hunting
  11. Dimbaa: Fire
  12. Dimiŋo: Wound
  13. Dindiŋ, dindiŋo: Child
  14. Dinkiraa: Area, place, district, region, location
  15. Dookuulaa: Worker
  16. Dookuwo: Job, occupation, work   
  17. Dulaa: Place, area, venue (pl. dulaalu)
  18. Faamaa: Father
  19. Fikka, fikkoo, fika: Islamic jurisprudence, from Arabic fiqh
  20. Fitiri, fitiroo: Dusk
  21. Jaarari dulaa: Hospital, medical clinic, treatment place
  22. Jankari diŋo: Virus, microbe
  23. Jankari, jankaroo: Disease, illness
  24. Ka a baŋ, ka i bandii: To finish, end, complete something, to be done.
  25. Ka a fahamu: To understand, master something
  26. Ka a foloo: To start, begin, from foloo (beginning, first) 
  27. Ka a janjandi: To spread, scatter, extend
  28. Ka a jiibee, juubee: To look at, see, check, verify, inspect something
  29. Ka a kii: To send
  30. Ka a kili: To call, name someone
  31. Ka a malaa: To light, burn, turn on, switch on something
  32. Ka a safee: To write something
  33. Ka a samba: To  take something away
  34. Ka a sene: To farm, cultivate something
  35. Ka a soto: To obtain something, have something
  36. Ka a tambindi: To cause someone to pass, make someone pass
  37. Ka a tara: To find, discover
  38. Ka funti: To go out, leave
  39. Ka jiyaa: To lodge, stay at a place
  40. Ka mee: To last, take a long time
  41. Ka naa: To come
  42. Ka sii: Sit down
  43. Ka tambi: To go beyond, pass
  44. Ka wuluu: To give birth, deliver
  45. Karandiroo: Teaching, instruction
  46. Karantaa: Quranic school, learning place
  47. Kayiti, kayitoo, kaytoo: Paper, document
  48. Kibaari taamansee: Advertisement, poster 
  49. Kono, konoo: Stomach, belly, inside
  50. Konoo dimiŋo: Stomachache
  51. Kontoŋo: Lunch
  52. Koridaa: House, compound
  53. Kuntiyo: Leader, chief, head
  54. Kuŋ dimoo: Headache
  55. Kuŋo: Head
  56. Luulu: Five
  57. Luulunjaŋo: Fifth
  58. Maafaŋ, maafaŋo: Area, side  
  59. Mansa, Mansoo: King
  60. Nene: Once, ever. When used with the negative marker maŋ = never
  61. Saatee: City, town, village
  62. Saba: Three
  63. Sabanjaŋo: Third
  64. Sanji, sanjoo: Raindrop, year  
  65. Senelaa: Farmer
  66. Senoo: Farming
  67. Somondaa: Morning
  68. Suutee: Identify, decipher, recognize
  69. Suwo: House, home, dwelling
  70. Taaliboo: Student, disciple, learner, from Arabic (ṭālib)
  71. Taama: To travel, visit
  72. Taariikoo, taarikoo: History, chronicle, from Arabic tārīkh
  73. Taŋ: Ten   
  74. Tilibuloo: Afternoon
  75. Too: Name
  76. Wuraaroo, wulaaroo: Evening time

Notes

  1. Islaamik Kansuloo: From English “Islamic Council.” This is an organization created to coordinate and regulate the activities and programs of Muslim scholars and preachers across The Gambia.
  2. Kammoo: The celebration of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, called Mawlidu al-Nabī in Arabic. Kammoo is celebrated in the evening in Senegambia with recitations of Arabic and Ajami poems celebrating the virtues and legacy of Prophet Muhammad. It is a night of prayers, celebration, and festivities.
  3. Walaa: Wooden tablet used at the initial level of Quranic education. On these tablets, teachers write Quranic lessons for students who then memorize them, learning to write and read verses from the Quran. After this initial phase, they begin to study books in other domains, including jurisprudence, Arabic grammar, and numerology.

Exercises:

Comprehension || Writing || Listening / Speaking and Conversation || Cultural Competence

Comprehension: Video

Comprehension: Image

Writing

Name(Required)
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Please enter the email address to which you'd like your responses sent. Please notify the recipient(s) that you have submitted these exercises, as the submission could go to their spam folder.
[If you'd like your responses sent to another email address as well, please enter it here.]
For exercises 1-6 below, open the Mandinka Ajami keyboard, type text, and copy-paste it into the box.
Disclaimer: By completing these online exercises, I agree to share my name and contact information with the email recipient(s) I have indicated. Boston University takes no responsibility for the use of the submitted information. A copy of all submitted information may be retained on Boston University’s servers upon submission.

Listening / Speaking and Conversation

  • Podkastoo niŋ Widewoo: Podkastoo ke ñiŋ widewoo kaccaa-kuma-kaŋoolu kunna, waraŋ i ye widewoo sutuŋoolu ke minulu be widewoo la kaccaa-kuma-kaŋoolu koyindi la.

Cultural Competence

  • Teyaataroo safee aniŋ Mandinka safeeri-kuloolu la muŋ be aada kummaayaariŋo yitandi la.