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Wolof

Translation
Wolof
/woh"lof/, n.
a language of Senegal, a Niger-Congo language closely related to Fulani.

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Muslim people of Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauretania.

They speak a language of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family. In the 14th–16th century the Wolof maintained a powerful empire. Traditional Wolof society was highly stratified, consisting of royalty, an aristocracy, a warrior class, commoners, slaves, and members of despised artisan castes. Today most Wolof (numbering some 5 million) are farmers, but many live and work in Dakar, Senegal, and Banjul, The Gambia. Wolof women are renowned for their elaborate hair styles, abundant gold ornaments, and voluminous dresses. Nearly half the people of Senegal are Wolof.

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▪ people
also spelled  Ouolof 

      a Muslim people of Senegal and The Gambia (Gambia, The) who speak the Wolof language of the Atlantic branch (Atlantic languages) of the Niger-Congo language family.

      The typical rural community is small (about 100 persons). Most Wolof are farmers, growing peanuts (groundnuts) as a cash crop and millet and sorghum as staples; many, however, live and work in Dakar and Banjul as traders, goldsmiths, tailors, carpenters, teachers, and civil servants. Traditional groups were characterized by a markedly hierarchical social stratification, including royalty, an aristocracy, a warrior class, commoners, slaves, and members of low-status artisan castes; at their head was a paramount chief.

      In the past the Wolof observed double descent; i.e., descent was traced through both the male and female lines. Islamic influence, however, has tended to make the male line dominant. A household (kinship) unit may consist of a nuclear family (husband, wife, and minor children) or a polygynous family (a husband, his several wives, and their children); other close kin, however, may sometimes be found together with the nuclear family. Wolof women are renowned for their elaborate hairstyles, abundant gold ornaments, and voluminous dresses.

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Universalium. 2010.

  
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  • wolof — * * * wolof ou ouolof [ wɔlɔf ] adj. et n. • 1825, 1829; yolof 1747; mot de cette langue ♦ Relatif à une ethnie d Afrique de l Ouest (Sénégal, Gambie). ♢ N. Les Wolofs. N. m. Langue du groupe atlantique occidental, une des langues nationales du… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Wolof — (Dscholof, Jolof, »die Schwarzen«, im Gegensatz zu den Fulbe, »den Roten«), Negervolk in der französisch westafrikan. Kolonie Senegal, in den Landschaften Ualo, Cayor, Dscholof, Sine, Salum, einem Teile von Baol nebst der Halbinsel Dakar; sie… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Wolof — may refer to: Wolof Empire, a medieval West African state Wolof language, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania Wolof people, an ethnic group found in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania This disambiguation page lists articles… …   Wikipedia

  • Wolof — (frz. auch Ouolof, engl. auch Wollof; weitere Schreibweisen: Volof, Olof, Jolof, Jollof und Dyolof) steht für: Wolof (Sprache), eine Sprache aus der Familie der Niger Kongo Sprachen Wolof (Volk), eine ethnische Gruppe, die sich auf die Länder… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Wolof — Wolof, Negerstamm, s.v.w. Joloff (s.d.) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Wolof — noun Etymology: Wolof, speaker of Wolof, the Wolof language Date: 1823 a Niger Congo language of Senegambia …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Wolof — 1. adjective pertaining to the Wolof people or their language 2. noun a) an individual of the Wolof people b) A West African people, mostly in Senegal …   Wiktionary

  • Wolof — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Le terme wolof peut désigner : les Wolofs, l ethnie la plus représentée au Sénégal ; le wolof, une langue principalement parlée au… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • wolof — m; см. ouolof …   Большой французско-русский и русско-французский словарь

  • Wolof — Лингвистика: волоф (язык) …   Универсальный англо-русский словарь