Linguistics
Linguistics illuminates patterns and variety in the structure and use of language, providing a foundation for all the language work with which SIL Senegal is involved.
Throughout its history, SIL Senegal has worked alongside speakers of the languages of Senegal and The Gambia, enabling them to be better equipped to use those languages in translation, literacy and other language based development. SIL linguists have had contacts with university linguists in Senegal over many years, including participating in seminars and making the resources in our library available to Masters and PhD students.
SIL linguists, along with their literacy colleagues, have helped members of language communities to work out how best to write down their languages for the first time, and have supported them as they seek official recognition of their languages. SIL linguists have also been involved in the development of several dictionaries of Senegalese languages. Much of the information gathered during these activities is available through documents on this site, has been presented at international conferences and is also the basis of a number of academic dissertations and theses.
The image on the right shows one of our publications, a Gusiilaay (Atlantic Jola language) / French lexicon. It is the fruit of a 'Rapid Word Collection' workshop organised in February 2017 in Thionck-Essyl by GIE CLOA and SIL Senegal. This lexicon comprises 9,000 words or phrases in Gusiilaay and more than 11,500 senses. It also includes an index in French.
