[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/wolof/)

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# wolof

noun (Wolof — a people and their language); adjective (Wolof)

«wolof» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The Wolof are a people of West Africa, living mostly in Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#m1)
2. Wolof is also their language, widely spoken in Senegal by many people, including those who are not Wolof. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#m2)
3. As an adjective it describes things of this people or language: «Wolof music». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#m3)

### In the lessons

In geography and language lessons Wolof is an example of an African language used every day in markets, music and radio, alongside French in Senegal. English has borrowed a few words that may come from Wolof, perhaps «banana» and «jive», though experts are not sure. Usually written with a capital W.

### Examples

- Wolof is spoken by millions of people in Senegal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#x1)
- My friend from Dakar taught me to say hello in Wolof. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#x2)
- Many Senegalese people speak Wolof and French. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#x3)
- The Wolof people have a long tradition of griots, who sing family histories. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#x4)
- «Jërëjëf» means «thank you» in Wolof. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#x5)
- The radio played a song in Wolof. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/#x6)

### Note

Proper noun: write «Wolof» with a capital letter. Say «WOH-lof». Do not call Wolof a «dialect»; it is a full language. Names of peoples and languages are not plural with -s here: «the Wolof», «speak Wolof».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «wolof» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wolof/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«wolof» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/wolof.html) on Mova free.