Say ¿Qué?: #MyAncestrySpeaks: Cecilia
Our lovely friend, Cecilia, provided her ancestry profile to build her very own Say ¿Qué? #MyAncestrySpreaks custom design.
Ancestry Profile
Cecilia’s ancestry profile included the following countries/regions with their respective language:
United States: English
Borikén: Taíno
Portugal: Portuguese
Spain: Spanish
Cameroon: Fulfulde (aka Fula, Fulani, Pulaar)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Lingala
Basque: Euskara
Senegal: Wolof
Côte d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast: Baoulé
Ghana: Akan
Mali: Bambara
NOTE: When selecting the “top spoken” language for each country, the “most spoken indigenous language” was highlighted over the “official language.”
From Words to Worlds
United States: English
While English is the most spoken language in the United States, it is not the official language as the United States does not have one. (1) The top spoken languages in the United States (2) are:
English
Spanish
Chinese (includes Mandarin & Cantonese)
Tagalog (includes Filipino)
Vietnamese
Arabic
French (includes Cajun)
Korean
Russian
Portuguese
Hindi
Haitian
German
Source: (1) www.usa.gov, (2) U.S. Census Bureau
Borikén: Taíno
According to the Diaspora Pa’lante Collective (D.P.C.), “Indigenous peoples of Borikén (Puerto Rico) are known as the Taíno (translating to good and noble) people, a subgroup of the Arawak people that inhabited many islands of the Caribbean including Cobao (Cuba), Ayiti (Haiti), Quisqueya (Dominican Republic), Xaymaca (Jamaica), and parts of Southern so called “Florida”. In the Antilles and Bahama, they were known as the Lucayans and spoke the Taíno language, one of the Arawakan languages.” (1)
The Taíno language is classified as “endangered” (2) as it is no longer the norm to teach children the language. To learn more about contemporary efforts to preserve Taíno language and culture, please visit the United Confederation of Taíno People (UCTP) and the Diaspora Pa’lante Collective (D.P.C.).
Source: (1) Diaspora Pa’lante Collective (D.P.C.) (2) Ethnologue
Spain: Spanish
Spanish, also referred to as Castilian, is the official language of Spain)(1). The country with the largest population of native Spanish speakers is Mexico, followed by Colombia, Argentina, Spain and the United States (2).
Source: (1) World Atlas, (2) Statista
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Lingala
While French is the official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the country has four national languages: Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili and Tshiluba. Of these, Lingala is the most widely spoken indigenous language in the DRC.
Source: World Atlas
Basque: Euskara
According to The Etxepare Basque Institute, “The Basque language, or Euskara, is spoken in Spain and France at the western edge of the Pyrenees. The latest figures show that out of a total population of around three million, some 900,000 people speak Basque.”
Source: The Etxepare Basque Institute
Côte d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast: Baoulé
While French is the official language of the Côte d'Ivoire, there are numerous indigenous languages that fall into approximately four regional language families: “Mande languages in the northwest, Senufo languages in the north, Kru languages in the southwest, and Kwa languages in the southeast.” Of these, Baoulé of the Kwa family is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Côte d'Ivoire.
Source: World Atlas
Ghana: Akan
While English is the official language of Ghana, the country has nine government-sponsored languages: Akan languages (Twi languages), Dagaare, Dangbe, Dagbane, Ga, Kasem, Ewe, and Nzema. Of these, Akan is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Ghana.
Source: World Atlas
Cameroon: Fulfulde (aka Fula, Fulani, Pulaar)
While French and English are the official languages of Cameroon, the country boasts a rich and varied linguistic heritage with at least 250 indigenous languages. Of these, Fulfulde (aka Fula, Fulani, Pulaar) is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Cameroon.
Source: World Atlas
Senegal: Wolof
While French is the official language of Senegal, the country has multiple national languages: Wolof, Pulaar, Mandinka, Balanta-Ganja, Mandjak, Hassaniya Arabic, Noon, Jola-Fonyi, Serer, Soninke, and Mankanya. Of these, Wolof is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Senegal.
Source: World Atlas
Mali: Bambara
While French is the official language of Mali, the country has 13 national languages: Bambara, Soninke, Hasanya Arabia, Bomu, Tamasheq, Songhay, Fulfulde, Bozo, Maninkakan, Dogon, Syenara, Mamara, and Xasongaxango. Of these, Bambara is the most widely spoken language in Mali.
Source: World Atlas
Say ¿Qué? Multi-Language Design Series
How do you say [<♡>] in your language? To become a true polyglot, one must be proficient in four or more languages! Our Say ¿Qué? designs feature eleven languages! Below are translations for hello and love in the languages from Ms. Cecilia’s ancestry profile.
Hello!!!
When translating “hello,” it was less about exact translations and more about learning how people greet each other. There were formal and informal ways of greeting others, depending on one’s familiarity. Often it was more than just a “hello” but an inquiry into their well-being or wishing them well.
Hello [English]
Tau [Taíno]
Olá [Portuguese]
Hola [Spanish]
Jam [Fulfulde]
Mbote [Lingala]
Kaixo [Basque]
Nanga Def [Wolof]
Akwaba [Baoulé]
Akwaba [Akan]
I ni sogoma (i ni sɔgɔma) [Bambara]
#MyAncestrySpeaks
Love!!!
Many languages had multiple words for “love” distinguishing between romantic love and a broader sense of love (e.g., for family, friends, etc.).
Love [English]
Maita’i [Taíno]
Amor [Portuguese]
Amor [Spanish]
Hiddi [Fulfulde]
Bolingo [Lingala]
Maitasuna [Basque]
Ñoom [Wolof]
Klole [Baoulé]
Odo (ɔdɔ) [Akan]
Denw [Bambara]
Whenever we discover a linguistic kindship (e.g., “love” in Taíno and Basque), it feels like we unlocked a door to a secret portal... perhaps to our future?
#MyAncestrySpeaks
We strive to build solidarity through the art of translation.
Thank you [Mā'uru, Obrigado, Gracias, Jaaraama, Matondi, Eskerrik asko, Jërëjëf, Yenien (Yɛniɛn), Medaase, A’ ni ce (A' ni cɛ)] for reading!
Translations may vary based on regional dialects or historical usage (or an error on our part). If you have suggestions to help us improve our translations, please let us know via connect@villagevalues.org or our form. Thank you!
