Urban Wolof

According to Senegalese Author, Khadi Hane, it’s possible to have the French language in Senegal without having neocolonialism. She says « La Francophonie en tant qu’Institution n’a pas sa raison d’être! »


It seems like French’s most prominent role in contemporary Senegal is in the growing use of “Urban Wolof,” or “a mixed Wolof/French code that enjoys no official recognition.” This hybrid “code” doesn’t only appear in everyday conversations but also in the media and advertising sectors of Senegal.


According to a paper on contemporary language in Senegal, Urban Wolof belongs to all people in the country regardless of ethnicity, and it emerged from interethnic marriages. Urban Wolof has actually decreased sharp distinctions among different ethnic groups in Senegal, as people’s last names and everyday jargin start to bleed together into a common tongue. According to Leigh Swigart “the overwhelming population of urban areas in Senegal may be ethnically heterogeneous, but is culturally and linguistically homogenous.” Does this mean that French’s presence in Senegal has been and currently is a good thing?


While Khadi Hane recognizes that French holds a place in contemporary Senegal, I’m not sure how she would feel about President Sarkozy’s view that French colonialism has played a positive role in Africa. In a French blog that criticizes this paternalistic view, the author, Sarah, calls this attitude toward the evolution of the Africa man as an “entité fantasmatique.” Even Urban Wolof, which is influenced by French and could be viewed as a positive thing through its supposed reduction of ethnic separation, is predominantly used in the wealthiest and most educated parts of Senegal.


With the reduction of ethnic separation through Urban Wolof also comes the reduction of traditional Senegalese values, such as respect for elders. Senegalese refer to the spread of Urban Wolof (and its non-traditional consequences) as “wolofization.” There is definite opposition to wolofization throughout Senegal, especially with the Pulaar (North) and Joola (South) ethnicities of Senegal. Stay tuned for the next entry in the African Baguette, which will explore deeper the contemporary opposition to wolofizaiton.