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13 Mali

  • Ingse Skattum
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Manual of Romance Languages in Africa
This chapter is in the book Manual of Romance Languages in Africa

Abstract

In Mali, French is a second language, acquired mainly through school. Though it is near to nobody’s first language, it is the sole official language and the dominant language at school and in the written sphere. The number of French speakers is estimated at about 17 % of the population by the International Organisation of la Francophonie. Thirteen of the country’s approximately twenty languages have the status of a national language, which implies codification, that is, official alphabets and orthographies, and a certain use in the media and at school. Bambara is by far the most spoken first language (almost half of the population), and the main lingua franca (nearly the entire population). French in Mali is spoken mainly among the upper class, and mainly at work - outside work, people most often speak one of the Malian languages. French is used as an instrument of social promotion, but since it is nearly exclusively used in formal settings, it has not developed into a local variety.

Abstract

In Mali, French is a second language, acquired mainly through school. Though it is near to nobody’s first language, it is the sole official language and the dominant language at school and in the written sphere. The number of French speakers is estimated at about 17 % of the population by the International Organisation of la Francophonie. Thirteen of the country’s approximately twenty languages have the status of a national language, which implies codification, that is, official alphabets and orthographies, and a certain use in the media and at school. Bambara is by far the most spoken first language (almost half of the population), and the main lingua franca (nearly the entire population). French in Mali is spoken mainly among the upper class, and mainly at work - outside work, people most often speak one of the Malian languages. French is used as an instrument of social promotion, but since it is nearly exclusively used in formal settings, it has not developed into a local variety.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Manuals of Romance Linguistics V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction 1
  5. Northern Africa
  6. French
  7. 2 Algeria 23
  8. 3 Morocco 43
  9. 4 Tunisia 71
  10. Italian
  11. 5 Libya 85
  12. Portuguese
  13. 6 Portugal: Madeira 95
  14. Spanish
  15. 7 Spain: Canary Islands 115
  16. 8 Spain: Ceuta and Melilla 147
  17. Western Africa
  18. French
  19. 9 Benin 169
  20. 10 Burkina Faso 193
  21. 11 Côte d’Ivoire 221
  22. 12 Guinea 241
  23. 13 Mali 265
  24. 14 Mauritania 289
  25. 15 Niger 319
  26. 16 Senegal 337
  27. 17 Togo 391
  28. Portuguese
  29. 18 Cabo Verde 413
  30. 19 Guinea-Bissau 447
  31. Middle Africa
  32. French
  33. 20 Cameroon 469
  34. 21 Central African Republic 483
  35. 22 Chad 497
  36. 23 Congo-Brazzaville 507
  37. 24 Congo-Kinshasa 537
  38. 25 Gabon 551
  39. Portuguese
  40. 26 Angola 579
  41. 27 São Tomé and Príncipe 609
  42. Spanish
  43. 28 Equatorial Guinea 625
  44. Eastern Africa
  45. French
  46. 29 Burundi and Rwanda 643
  47. 30 Djibouti 669
  48. 31 France: Réunion and Mayotte 691
  49. 32 Madagascar and Comoros 717
  50. 33 Mauritius and Seychelles 753
  51. Italian
  52. 34 Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia 783
  53. Portuguese
  54. 35 Mozambique 809
  55. Overview
  56. Country Key Facts
  57. 36 Country Key Facts 827
  58. Language Index 841
  59. Linguistic Subject Index 849
  60. General Subject Index 855
  61. Person Index 867
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110628869-013

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Manuals of Romance Linguistics V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction 1
  5. Northern Africa
  6. French
  7. 2 Algeria 23
  8. 3 Morocco 43
  9. 4 Tunisia 71
  10. Italian
  11. 5 Libya 85
  12. Portuguese
  13. 6 Portugal: Madeira 95
  14. Spanish
  15. 7 Spain: Canary Islands 115
  16. 8 Spain: Ceuta and Melilla 147
  17. Western Africa
  18. French
  19. 9 Benin 169
  20. 10 Burkina Faso 193
  21. 11 Côte d’Ivoire 221
  22. 12 Guinea 241
  23. 13 Mali 265
  24. 14 Mauritania 289
  25. 15 Niger 319
  26. 16 Senegal 337
  27. 17 Togo 391
  28. Portuguese
  29. 18 Cabo Verde 413
  30. 19 Guinea-Bissau 447
  31. Middle Africa
  32. French
  33. 20 Cameroon 469
  34. 21 Central African Republic 483
  35. 22 Chad 497
  36. 23 Congo-Brazzaville 507
  37. 24 Congo-Kinshasa 537
  38. 25 Gabon 551
  39. Portuguese
  40. 26 Angola 579
  41. 27 São Tomé and Príncipe 609
  42. Spanish
  43. 28 Equatorial Guinea 625
  44. Eastern Africa
  45. French
  46. 29 Burundi and Rwanda 643
  47. 30 Djibouti 669
  48. 31 France: Réunion and Mayotte 691
  49. 32 Madagascar and Comoros 717
  50. 33 Mauritius and Seychelles 753
  51. Italian
  52. 34 Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia 783
  53. Portuguese
  54. 35 Mozambique 809
  55. Overview
  56. Country Key Facts
  57. 36 Country Key Facts 827
  58. Language Index 841
  59. Linguistic Subject Index 849
  60. General Subject Index 855
  61. Person Index 867
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