View source for Fula language

{{short description|Senegambian language of West and Central Africa}}
{{Distinguish||text=the [[Fala language]]}}
      
{{Infobox language
| name             = Fulani
| nativename       = ''Fulfulde'' {{lang|ff|{{script/Adlam|𞤊𞤵𞤤𞤬𞤵𞤤𞤣𞤫}}}} {{lang|ff|<small>{{script/Arabic|ࢻُلْࢻُلْدٜ}}</small>}}<br/>''Pulaar'' {{lang|ff|{{script/Adlam|𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞥄𞤪}}}} {{lang|ff|<small>{{script/Arabic|ݒُلَارْ}}</small>}}<br/>''Pular'' {{lang|ff|{{script/Adlam|𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪}}}} {{lang|ff|<small>{{script/Arabic|بُۛلَر}}</small>}}
| altname          = {{Lang|ar|فولا|rtl=yes}} ([[Arabic language|Arabic]])<br>''Peul'' ([[French language|French]])
| map              = Fula_language_map.svg
| mapcaption       = Core and peripheral Fula-speaking regions. Note that most of these areas, with the exceptions of Senegal and Guinea, are not primarily Fula-speaking, as this map only shows the absolute numbers of speakers.
| states           = [[West Africa|Western Africa]]
| region           = [[Sahel]]
| ethnicity        = [[Fula people|Fula]]
| speakers         = [[first language|L1]]: {{sigfig|36.854740|2}} million
| date             = 2014–2021
| ref              = e26
| speakers2        = [[Second language|L2]]: {{sigfig|2.680000|2}} million (2019)<ref name=e26/>
| speakers_label   = Speakers
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam2             = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3             = [[West Atlantic languages|West Atlantic]]
| fam4             = [[Senegambian languages|Senegambian]]
| fam5             = [[Senegambian languages|Fula–Wolof]]
| script           = [[Latin script|Latin]]<br />[[Adlam script|Adlam]]<br />[[Arabic script|Arabic]] ([[Ajami script|Ajami]])
| official         = [[Burkina Faso]]<br>[[Mali]]
| minority         = {{flag|Cameroon}}<br> {{flag|Niger}}
| iso1             = ff
| iso1comment      = – Fulah
| iso2             = ful
| iso2comment      = – Fulah
| iso3             = ful
| iso3comment      = – Fulah
| lc1              = fuc
| ld1              = [[Pulaar language|Pulaar]] <small>(Senegambia, Mauritania)</small>
| lc2              = fuf
| ld2              = [[Pular language|Pular]] <small>(Guinea, Sierra Leone)</small>
| lc3              = ffm
| ld3              = [[Maasina Fulfulde]] <small>(Mali, Ghana)</small>
| lc4              = fue
| ld4              = [[Borgu Fulfulde]] <small>(Benin, Togo)</small>
| lc5              = fuh
| ld5              = [[Western Niger Fulfulde]] <small>(Burkina, Niger)</small>
| lc6              = fuq
| ld6              = [[Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde|Central–Eastern Niger Fulfulde]] <small>(Niger)</small>
| lc7              = fuv
| ld7              = [[Nigerian Fulfulde]] <small>(Nigeria)</small>
| lc8              = fub
| ld8              = [[Adamawa Fulfulde]] <small>(Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria)</small>
| lc9              = fui
| ld9              = [[Bagirmi Fulfulde]] <small>(CAR)</small>
| glotto           = fula1264
| glottorefname    = Fula
}}
{{ SpecialChars
| compact    = 
| special    = [[Adlam script|Adlam Unicode characters]]
| fix        = Help:Multilingual_support
| characters = Adlam letters
}}
'''Fula''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|uː|l|ə}} {{respell|FOO|lə}}),<ref name=Bauer>Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student's Handbook'', Edinburgh</ref> also known as '''Fulani''' ({{IPAc-en|f|ʊ|ˈ|l|ɑː|n|iː}} {{respell|fuu|LAH|nee}})<ref name=Bauer /> or '''Fulah'''<ref name="ISO 639-2/RA">{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/langcodes_name.php?code_ID=151 |title=Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: ful |publisher=ISO 639-2 Registration Authority - Library of Congress |access-date=2017-07-04 |quote=Name: Fulah}}</ref><ref name="ISO 639-3/RA">{{cite web |url=http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=ful |title=Documentation for ISO 639 identifier: ful |publisher=ISO 639-3 Registration Authority - SIL International |access-date=2017-07-04 |quote=Name: Fulah}}</ref> ({{lang|ff|Fulfulde}}, {{lang|ff|Pulaar}}, {{lang|ff|Pular}}; [[Adlam script|Adlam]]: {{lang|ff|𞤊𞤵𞤤𞤬𞤵𞤤𞤣𞤫}}, {{lang|ff|𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞥄𞤪}}, {{lang|ff|𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪}}; [[Ajami script|Ajami]]: {{lang|ff|<small>{{script/Arabic|ࢻُلْࢻُلْدٜ}}</small>}}, {{lang|ff|<small>{{script/Arabic|ݒُلَارْ}}</small>}}, {{lang|ff|<small>{{script/Arabic|بُۛلَر}}</small>}}), is a [[Senegambian languages|Senegambian]] language spoken by around 36.8 million people as a set of various dialects in a [[Dialect continuum|continuum]] that stretches across some 18 countries in [[West Africa|West]] and [[Central Africa]]. Along with other related languages such as [[Serer language|Serer]] and [[Wolof language|Wolof]], it belongs to the [[Atlantic languages|Atlantic]] geographic group within [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], and more specifically to the [[Senegambian languages|Senegambian]] branch. Unlike most Niger-Congo languages, Fula does not have [[Tone (linguistics)|tones]].

It is spoken as a [[first language]] by the [[Fula people]] ("Fulani", {{langx|ff|Fulɓe|link=no}}) from the [[Senegambia|Senegambia region]] and [[Guinea]] to [[Cameroon]], [[Nigeria]], and [[Sudan]] and by related groups such as the [[Toucouleur people]] in the [[Senegal River]] Valley. It is also spoken as a [[second language]] by various peoples in the region, such as the [[Kirdi]] of northern Cameroon and northeastern [[Nigeria]].

==Nomenclature==
{{infobox ethnonym|Pullo|Fulɓe|Fulfulde}}
Several names are applied to the language, just as to the [[Fula people]]. They call their language ''[[Pulaar]]'' or ''Pular'' in the western dialects and ''[[Fulfulde]]'' in the central and eastern dialects. ''Fula'', ''Fulah'' and ''Fulani'' in English come originally from [[Manding languages|Manding]] (esp. Mandinka, but also Malinke and Bamana) and [[Hausa language|Hausa]], respectively; ''Peul'' in French, also occasionally found in literature in English, comes from [[Wolof language|Wolof]].

==Status==
Fula is a [[lingua franca]] in [[Guinea]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Senegal]], [[Gambia]], northeastern [[Nigeria]], [[Cameroon]], [[Mali]], [[Burkina Faso]], Northern [[Ghana]], Southern [[Niger]] and Northern [[Benin]] (in [[Borgou]] Region, where many speakers are bilingual), and a local language in many African countries, such as [[Mauritania]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Togo]], [[CAR]], [[Chad]], [[Sudan]], [[Ethiopia]] and [[Somalia]], numbering more than 95 million speakers in total.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

==Varieties==
{{Main|Maasina Fulfulde|Pular language|Pulaar language|Nigerian Fulfulde|Adamawa Fulfulde}}
While there are numerous varieties of Fula, it is typically regarded as a single language.  Wilson (1989) states that "travelers over wide distances never find communication impossible," and Ka (1991) concludes that despite its geographic span and dialect variation, Fulfulde is still fundamentally one language.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ka |first=Fary |title=Language Standardization in Africa |publisher=Helmut Buske verlag |year=1991 |editor-last=Cyffer |editor-first=N. |location=Hamburg |pages=35–38 |chapter=Problématique de la standardisation linguistique: Le cas du pulaar/fulfulde |quote="...malgré son extension géographique et ses variations dialectales, le fulfulde reste une langue profondément unie."}}</ref> However, ''[[Ethnologue]]'' has found that nine different translations are needed {{Citation needed span|text=to make the Bible comprehensible for most Fula speakers|date=April 2023}}, and it treats these varieties as separate languages. Fula dialects are also often split into 4 regions, the Western area, Central area, Niger and Nigeria, and the Eastern area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Harrison |first=Annette |last2=Davis |first2=Colin |date=2003 |title=Fulfulde language family report |url=https://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9065 |journal=Journal of Language Survey Reports |issue=ii |pages=13}}</ref> The dialects are as follows: 

'''Western Area''' 

* [[Pulaar language|Pulaar]] (also known as Pulaar du Nord)
* [[Pular language|Pular]] (also known as Pula Futa)
* [[Fulakunda]]

'''Central Area'''

* [[Maasina Fulfulde|Maasina Fulfude]]
* Gorgal Fulfude

'''Niger and Nigeria''' 

* Borgu Fulfude 
* [[Nigerian Fulfulde|Nigerian Fulfude]] (also known as Fulfude Leydi Nigeria)
* Niger Fulfude

'''Eastern Area'''

* [[Adamawa Fulfulde|Adamawa Fulfude]]

== Phonology ==

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! colspan="2" |[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>[[Palatalization (sound change)|pal.]]</small>
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
| {{IPA link|ɲ}}
| {{IPA link|ŋ}}
|
|
|-
! rowspan="3" |[[Plosive]]
!<small>plain</small>
| {{IPA link|p}}
| {{IPA link|t}}
| {{IPA link|c}} ~ {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|k}}
| {{IPA link|ʔ}}
| {{IPA link|ʔʲ}}
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
| {{IPA link|b}}
| {{IPA link|d}}
| {{IPA link|ɟ}} ~ {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
| {{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|
|-
!<small>prenasal</small>
| {{IPA link|ᵐb}}
| {{IPA link|ⁿd}}
| {{IPA link|ᶮɟ ~ ᶮd͡ʒ}}
| {{IPA link|ᵑɡ}}
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Implosive consonant|Implosive]]
| {{IPA link|ɓ}}
| {{IPA link|ɗ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Fricative]]
| {{IPA link|f}}
| {{IPA link|s}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|h}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| {{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Approximant]]
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
| {{IPA link|j}}
| {{IPA link|w}}
|
|
|}
The two sounds {{IPAslink|c}} and {{IPAslink|ɟ}}, may be realized as affricate sounds {{IPAblink|tʃ}} and {{IPAblink|dʒ}}.

=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|iː}}
|
| {{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|uː}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}} {{IPA link|eː}}
|
| {{IPA link|o}} {{IPA link|oː}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
| {{IPA link|ä|a}} {{IPA link|äː|aː}}
|
|}

Short /{{IPA|i e o u}}/ vowel sounds can also be realized as [{{IPA|ɪ ɛ ɔ ʊ}}].

==Morphology==
Fula is based on verbonominal roots, from which verbal, noun, and modifier words are derived. It uses suffixes (sometimes inaccurately called [[infix]]es, as they come between the root and the inflectional ending) to modify meaning.  These suffixes often serve the same purposes in Fula that [[Preposition and postposition|prepositions]] do in English.

===Noun classes===
The Fula or Fulfulde language is characterized by a robust [[noun class]] system, with 24 to 26 noun classes being common across the Fulfulde dialects.<ref name="Arnott 1970 5">{{harvcoltxt|Arnott|1970|p=5}}</ref> Noun classes in Fula are abstract categories with some classes having semantic attributes that characterize a subset of that class' members, and others being marked by a membership too diverse to warrant any semantic categorization of the class' members.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Paradis|1992|p=25}}</ref> For example, classes are for stringy, long things, and another for big things, another for liquids, a noun class for strong, rigid objects, another for human or humanoid traits etc. Gender does not have any role in the Fula noun class system and the marking of gender is done with adjectives rather than [[class marker (morphology)|class marker]]s.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Arnott|1970|p=74}}</ref>  Noun classes are marked by suffixes on nouns. These suffixes are the same as the class name, though they are frequently subject to phonological processes, most frequently the dropping of the suffix's initial consonant.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|McIntosh|1984|pp=45–46}}</ref>

The table below illustrates the class name, the semantic property associated with class membership, and an example of a noun with its class marker. Classes 1 and 2 can be described as personal classes, classes 3–6 as diminutive classes, classes 7–8 as augmentative classes, and classes 9–25 as neutral classes. It is formed on the basis of McIntosh's 1984 description of Kaceccereere Fulfulde, which the author describes as "essentially the same" as [[David Whitehorn Arnott|David Arnott]]'s 1970 description of the noun classes of the Gombe dialect of Fula. Thus, certain examples from Arnott also informed this table.<ref name="Arnott 1970 5"/><ref>{{harvcoltxt|McIntosh|1984|p=44}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Class name !! Meaning !! Example
|-
| o {{lang|ff|𞤮}} || Person singular || laam-ɗo 'chief'; also loan words
|-
| ɓe {{lang|ff|𞤩𞤫}} || Person plural || laam-ɓe 'chiefs'
|-
| ngel {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤫𞤤}} || Diminutive singular || loo-ngel 'little pot'
|-
| kal {{lang|ff|𞤳𞤢𞤤}} || Diminutive quantities || con-al 'small quantity of flour'
|-
| ngum/kum {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤵𞤥/𞤳𞤵𞤥}} || Diminutive pejorative || laam-ngum/laam-kum 'worthless little chief'
|-
| kon/koy {{lang|ff|𞤳𞤮𞤲/𞤳𞤮𞤴}} || Diminutive plural || ullu-kon/ullu-koy 'small cats/kittens'
|-
| nde {{lang|ff|𞤲𞥋𞤣𞤫}} || Various, including globular objects, places, times || loo-nde 'storage pot'
|-
| ndi {{lang|ff|𞤲𞥋𞤣𞤭}} || Various, including uncountable nouns || com-ri 'tiredness'
|-
| ndu {{lang|ff|𞤲𞥋𞤣𞤵}} || Various || ullu-ndu 'cat'
|-
| nga {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤢}} || Various, including some large animals || nood-a 'crocodile'
|-
| nge {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤫}} || mainly for 'cow,' 'fire,' 'sun' 'hunger,' || nagg-e 'cow'
|-
| ngo {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤮}} || Various || juu-ngo 'hand'
|-
| ngu {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤵}} || Various || ɓow-ngu 'mosquito'
|-
| ngal {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤢𞤤}} || Various including augmentative singular || ɗem-ngal  'tongue'
|-
| ngol {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤮𞤤}} || Various, often long things || ɓog-gol 'rope'
|-
| ngii/ngil {{lang|ff|𞤲'𞤺𞤭𞥅/𞤲'𞤺𞤭𞤤}} || Various including augmentative singular || ɓog-gii/ɓog-gii 'big rope'
|-
| ka {{lang|ff|𞤳𞤢}} || Various || laan-a 'boat'
|-
| ki {{lang|ff|𞤳𞤭}} || Various || lek-ki 'tree'
|-
| ko {{lang|ff|𞤳𞤮}} || Various || haak-o 'soup'
|-
| kol {{lang|ff|𞤳𞤮𞤤}} || 'Calf' 'foal' || ɲal-ol 'calf', mol-ol 'foal'
|-
| ɗam {{lang|ff|𞤯𞤢𞤥}} || mainly for liquids || lam-ɗam 'salt', ndiy-am 'water'
|-
| ɗum {{lang|ff|𞤯𞤵𞤥}} || Neutral || maw-ɗum 'big thing'
|-
| ɗe {{lang|ff|𞤯𞤫}} || Nonhuman plural || juu-ɗe 'hands'
|-
| ɗi {{lang|ff|𞤯𞤭}} || Nonhuman plural || na'i 'cows'
|}

===Voice===
Verbs in Fula are usually classed in three [[voice (grammar)|voices]]: active, middle, and passive.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Arnott|1956}}</ref> Not every root is used in all voices. Some middle-voice verbs are [[reflexive verb|reflexive]].

A common example are verbs from the root -{{lang|ff|𞤤𞤮𞥅𞤼}} {{Transliteration|ff|loot-}}:
* {{lang|ff|𞤤𞤮𞥅𞤼𞤵𞤣𞤫}} {{Transliteration|ff|lootude}}, to wash (something) [active voice]
* {{lang|ff|𞤤𞤮𞥅𞤼𞤢𞥄𞤣𞤫}} {{Transliteration|ff|lootaade}}, to wash (oneself) [middle voice]
* {{lang|ff|𞤤𞤮𞥅𞤼𞤫𞥅𞤣𞤫}} {{Transliteration|ff|looteede}}, to be washed [passive voice]

===Consonant mutation===
Another feature of the language is initial [[Consonant mutation#Fula|consonant mutation]] between singular and plural forms of nouns and of verbs (except in Pular, no consonant mutation exists in verbs, only in nouns){{Clarify|reason=The wording leaves unclear whether no consonant mutation occurs in verbs but not in Pular, or whether no consonant mutation in verbs occurs except in Pular where it does. In the latter case, I would suggest the wording: "(except in Pular, where no consonant mutation exists in verbs, only in nouns|date=May 2021}}.

A simplified schema is:
* w ↔ b ↔ mb
* r ↔ d ↔ nd
* y ↔ j ↔ nj
* w ↔ g ↔ ng
* f ↔ p
* s ↔ c
* h ↔ k

===Pronouns===
Fula has [[Inclusive and exclusive we#Fula language|inclusive and exclusive]] first-person plural pronouns.  The inclusive pronouns include both the speaker and those being spoken to, while the exclusive pronouns exclude the listeners.

The pronoun that corresponds to a given noun is determined by the noun class.  Because men and women belong to the same noun class, the English pronouns "he" and "she" are translated into Fula by the same pronoun.  However, depending on the dialect, there are some 25 different noun classes, each with its own pronoun.  Sometimes those pronouns have both a nominative case (i.e., used as verb subject) and an accusative or dative case (i.e., used as a verb object) as well as a possessive form.  Relative pronouns generally take the same form as the nominative.

== Writing systems ==
{{Main|Fula alphabets}}

There were unsuccessful efforts in the 1950s and 1960s to create a unique script to write Fulfulde.<ref name="Atlantic" /><ref name="The Randall M. Hasson Blog" /><ref name="BachDeborah" />

=== Adlam script ===
{{main|Adlam script}}
{{Infobox writing system
|name        = Adlam Pular<br />𞤀𞤣𞤤𞤢𞤥 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪
|type        = Alphabet
|time        = created 1989
|languages   = Fula
|creator     = Ibrahima Barry and Abdoulaye Barry
|iso15924    = Adlm
|unicode     = [[Adlam (Unicode block)|U+1E900&ndash;U+1E95F]]
|note        = 
|qid         = Q19606346
}}

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, two teenage brothers, [[Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry]] from the [[Nzérékoré Region]] of Guinea, created the [[Adlam script]], which accurately represents all the sounds of Fulani. The script is written from right to left and includes 28 letters with 5 vowels and 23 consonants.<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite news |last=Waddell |first=Kaveh |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/11/the-alphabet-that-will-save-a-people-from-disappearing/506987/ |title=The Alphabet That Will Save a People From Disappearing |author-link=Kaveh Waddell |date=Nov 16, 2016 |website=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref><ref name="The Randall M. Hasson Blog">{{cite web|last1=Hasson|first1=Randall|title=The ADLaM Story – How Alphabet Changes Culture|url=http://blog.randallmhasson.com/2014/04/the-adlam-story-how-alphabet-changes.html|website=The Randall M. Hasson Blog|access-date=4 April 2018|archive-date=21 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821113728/http://blog.randallmhasson.com/2014/04/the-adlam-story-how-alphabet-changes.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="BachDeborah">{{cite web |last1=Bach |first1=Deborah |title=Ibrahima & Abdoulaye Barry — How a new alphabet is helping an ancient people write its own future. |url=https://news.microsoft.com/stories/people/adlam.html?ocid=lock |website=Story Labs |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=25 December 2019 |date=29 July 2019}}</ref>

=== Arabic script ===
Fula has also been written in the [[Arabic script]] or ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20180114133025/http://www.mafindi.com/blogs/1/10/how-to-write-fulfulde-in-ajami-baleri-e-masle Ajami]'' since before European colonization by many scholars and learned people including [[Usman dan Fodio]] and the early emirs of the [[Northern Nigeria Protectorate|northern Nigeria]] emirates. This continues to a certain degree and notably in some areas like [[Guinea]] and [[Cameroon]].{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

Fula also has [[Arabic]] [[loanwords]].

=== Latin alphabet ===
[[File:الابجدية الفولانية بالحرف اللاتيني.jpg|thumb|Smartphone keyboard used for Fula, with the special letters [[D with hook]] (ɗ), [[B with hook]] (ɓ) and [[Eng (letter)|eng]] (ŋ).]] 
When written using the [[Latin script]], Fula uses the following additional special "hooked" characters to distinguish meaningfully different sounds in the language: Ɓ/ɓ {{IPAblink|ɓ}}, Ɗ/ɗ {{IPAblink|ɗ|ɗ&thinsp;}}, Ŋ/ŋ {{IPAblink|ŋ}}, Ɲ/ɲ {{IPAblink|ɲ|&thinsp;ɲ}}, Ƴ/ƴ {{IPAblink|ʔ|ʔʲ}}. The letters [[c]], [[j]], and [[r]], respectively represent the sounds [{{IPA|c ~ tʃ}}], [{{IPA|ɟ ~ dʒ}}], and [{{IPA|r}}]. Double vowel characters indicate that the vowels are elongated. An apostrophe (ʼ) is used as a glottal stop. It uses the five vowel system denoting vowel sounds and their lengths. In Nigeria ʼy substitutes ƴ, and in Senegal Ñ/ñ is used instead of ɲ.{{clarify|date=February 2013}}

====Sample Fula alphabet====
'''[[a]], [[aa (digraph)|aa]], [[b]], [[mb (digraph)|mb]] (or [[nb (digraph)|nb]]), [[ɓ]], [[c]], [[d]], [[nd (digraph)|nd]], [[ɗ]], [[e]], [[ee (digraph)|ee]], [[f]], [[g]], [[ng (digraph)|ng]], [[h]], [[i]], [[ii (digraph)|ii]], [[j]], [[nj (digraph)|nj]], [[k]], [[l]], [[m]], [[n]], [[ŋ]], [[ɲ]] [[ny (digraph)|(ny]] '''or '''[[ñ]]''')''', [[o]], [[oo (digraph)|oo]], [[p]], [[r]], [[s]], [[t]], [[u]], [[uu (digraph)|uu]], [[w]], [[y]], [[ƴ]] or {{hamza}}y, [[{{hamza}}]]'''

The letters '''[[q]], [[v]], [[x]], [[z]]''' are used in some cases for loan words. <!-- need verification; I removed these from the main list because in at least some dialects they are not part of the alphabet -->
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
! colspan="33" |Fula Alphabets
|-
|[[A]]
|[[B]]
|[[Mb (digraph)|Nb]]
|[[Ɓ]]
|[[C]] 
|[[D]] 
|[[Nd (digraph)|Nd]]
|[[Ɗ]]
|[[E]]
|[[F]]
|[[G]]
|[[Ng (digraph)|Ng]]
|[[H]]
|[[I]]
|[[J]]
|[[Nj (digraph)|Nj]]
|[[K]]
|[[L]]
|[[M]]
|[[N]]
|[[Eng (letter)|Ŋ]]
|[[Ɲ]]
|[[O]]
|[[P]]
|[[R]]
|[[S]]
|[[T]]
|[[U]]
|[[W]]
|[[Y]]
|[[Ƴ]]
|[[{{hamza}}]]
|-
! colspan="33" |Lowercase
|-
|a
|b
|nb
|ɓ
|c
|d
|nd
|ɗ
|e
|f
|g
|ng
|h
|i
|j
|nj
|k
|l
|m
|n
|ŋ
|ɲ
|o
|p
|r
|s
|t
|u
|w
|y
|ƴ
|{{hamza}}
|-
! colspan="33" |Phonetic value
|-
|{{IPA link|a}}
|{{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA|ᵐb}}
|{{IPA link|ɓ}}
|{{IPA link|c}}~{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
|{{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA|ⁿd}}
|{{IPA link|ɗ}}
|{{IPA link|ɛ}}~{{IPA link|e}}
|{{IPA link|f}}
|{{IPA link|g}}
|{{IPA|ᵑɡ}}
|{{IPA link|h}}
|{{IPA link|ɪ}}~{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|ɟ}}~{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
|{{IPA|ᶮɟ}}~<br>{{IPA|ᶮd͡ʒ}}
|{{IPA link|k}}
|{{IPA link|l}}
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|{{IPA link|ŋ}}
|{{IPA link|ɲ}}
|{{IPA link|ɔ}}~{{IPA link|o}}
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|r}}
|{{IPA link|s}}
|{{IPA link|t}}
|{{IPA link|ʊ}}~{{IPA link|u}}
|{{IPA link|w}}
|{{IPA link|j}}
|{{IPA|ʔʲ}}
|{{IPA link|ʔ}}
|}

Long vowels are written doubled: <aa, ee, ii, oo, uu>
The standard Fulfulde alphabet adopted during the UNESCO-sponsored expert meeting in Bamako in March 1966 is as follows:<ref>{{cite web |author=UNESCO  |url=http://www.bisharat.net/Documents/Bamako1966.htm |title=Rapport Final de la Réunion d'un groupe d'experts pour l'unification des alphabets des langues nationales |location=Bamako |year=1966 |access-date=2023-12-23}}</ref>
a, b, mb, ɓ, c, d, nd, ɗ, e, f, g, ng, h, i, j, nj, k, l, m, n, ŋ, ny (''later'' ɲ ''or'' ñ), o, p, r, s, t, u, w, y, ƴ, {{hamza}}.

== Sample text ==
The following is a sample text in Fula of Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Pulaar |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/pulaar |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=OHCHR |language=en}}</ref> The first line is in Adlam, the second in Latin script, the third in IPA.<!--this is not correct Adlam, just blind transliteration from Latin. Geminate ''n'' is written instead of single ''n'' for a syllable coda, and the apostrophe is missing after ''n'' in a prenasalized consonant.-->

{{fs interlinear |lang=ff |indent=2
|𞤋𞤲𞥆𞤢𞤥𞤢 𞤢𞥄𞤣𞤫𞥅𞤶𞤭 𞤬𞤮𞤬 𞤨𞤮𞤼𞤭, 𞤲𞤣𞤭𞤥𞤯𞤭𞤣𞤭 𞤫 𞤶𞤭𞤦𞤭𞤲𞤢𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤫 𞤼𞤮 𞤦𞤢𞤲𞥆𞤺𞤫 𞤸𞤢𞤳𞥆𞤫𞥅𞤶𞤭. 𞤉𞤩𞤫 𞤽𞤮𞥅𞤣𞤭 𞤥𞤭𞥅𞤶𞤮 𞤫 𞤸𞤢𞤳𞥆𞤭𞤤𞤢𞤲𞤼𞤢𞥄𞤺𞤢𞤤 𞤫𞤼𞤫 𞤫𞤩𞤫 𞤨𞤮𞤼𞤭 𞤸𞤵𞥅𞤬𞤮 𞤲𞤣𞤭𞤪𞤣𞤫 𞤫 𞤲𞤣𞤫𞤪 𞤩 𞤭𞤴𞤽𞤵𞤴𞤵𞤥𞥆𞤢𞥄𞤺𞤵
|Innama aadeeji fof poti, ndimɗidi e jibinannde to bannge hakkeeji. Eɓe ngoodi
miijo e hakkilantaagal ete eɓe poti huufo ndirde e nder ɓ iynguyummaagu.
|/inːama aːdeːɟi fof poti, ⁿdimɗidi e ɟibinanⁿde to banᵑge hakːeːɟi. eɓe ᵑgoːdi
miːɟo e hakːilantaːgal ete eɓe poti huːfo ⁿdirde e ⁿder ɓ ijᵑgujumːaːgu./
|"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
}}

==See also==
* [[Pular grammar]] (a presentation for one variety of Fula)
*[[David Whitehorn Arnott]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|40em}}

=== References ===
*{{Cite journal |last=Arnott |first=D. W. |author-link=David Whitehorn Arnott |date=1956 |title=The Middle Voice in Fula |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=130–144 |jstor=610132 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X00122244 |s2cid=163033896}}
* {{cite book |last=Arnott |first=D. W. |url=https://archive.org/details/nominalverbalsys0000arno/mode/2up |title=The Nominal and Verbal Systems of Fula |location=London |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1970|isbn=978-0-19-815127-2 }}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Arnott |first=D. W. |title=Fula |encyclopedia=International Encyclopedia of Linguistics |volume=2 |editor-first=W. |editor-last=Frawley |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2003}}
* {{cite book |last=McIntosh |first=Mary |title=Fulfulde Syntax and Verbal Morphology |location=London |publisher=St Edmundsbury Press |year=1984 |isbn=9780710300744}}
* {{cite book |last=Paradis |first=Carole |title=Lexical Phonology and Morphology: The Nominal Classes in Fula |location=New York |publisher=Garland Publishing |year=1992 |isbn=9780815306979}}
* {{cite book |last=Reichardt |first=Charles Augustus Ludwig |title=Grammar of the Fulde Language: With an Appendix of Some Original Traditions and Portions of Scripture Translated Into Fulde: Together with Eight Chapters of the Book of Genesis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lqUTAAAAQAAJ |year=1876 |publisher=Church Missionary Society |translator=Dr. Baikie}}
* {{cite journal |last=Shehu |first=Ahmadu |title=Stress Placement Rules in Fulfulde: A Review |year=2014 |journal=HARSHE Journal of African Languages |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319187165 |pages=169–186}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Wilson |first=W. A. A. |year=1945 |title=Atlantic |editor-link=John Bendor-Samuel |editor-last=Bendor-Samuel |editor-first=John |encyclopedia=The Niger–Congo Languages |pages=81–104}}

== External links ==
{{InterWiki|code=ff}}
{{Wiktionary category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Fulfulde phrasebook|Fulfulde|a phrasebook}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180114133025/http://www.mafindi.com/blogs/1/10/how-to-write-fulfulde-in-ajami-baleri-e-masle Fulfulde Ajami script how to]
* [http://www.languagesgulper.com/eng/Fula.html Fula- Language Gulper]
*[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mafindi.android fulfulde app on googleplay]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180111154945/http://www-01.sil.org/silesr/2003/silesr2003-009.html Fulfulde Language Family Report (SIL)] – includes maps of the dialects
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150419144235/http://www.webpulaaku.net/defte/dwarnott/nominal-verbal-systems-fula/general-introduction.html D. W. Arnott. The Nominal and Verbal Systems of Fula General Introduction] webPulaaku
* [http://globalrecordings.net/langcode/fub Listen to a sample of Adamawa Fulfulde from Global Recordings Network]
* [http://www.skyknowledge.com/adlam.htm Adlam alphabet]

;Fula on the web
Below are some websites from different countries that use the Latin alphabet of Fula/Fulfulde:
* Nigeria: {{URL|https://www.mafindi.com/words}} {{URL|https://www.mafindi.africa/words}}
* Nigeria: {{URL|fulfulde24.com}}
* Nigeria: {{URL|https://www.rfi.fr/ff/}}
* Mauritania: {{URL|Pulaar.org}}
* Mauritania: {{URL|Pulaagu.com}}
* Guinea: {{URL|Jowlol.org}}
* Guinea: {{URL|Tabaldefouta.org}}
* Guinea: {{URL|Misiide.net}}
* Guinea: {{URL|Webpulaaku.net}}
* Sierra Leone: {{URL|Peeral.com}}
* [[Fuuta Tooro]]: {{URL|www.pulaaronline.com}}

{{navboxes|
| list = 
{{Languages of Burkina Faso}}
{{Languages of Cameroon}}
{{Languages of the Gambia}}
{{Languages of Guinea}}
{{Languages of Guinea-Bissau}}
{{Languages of Mali}}
{{Languages of Niger}}
{{Languages of Nigeria}}
{{Languages of Sierra Leone}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Fula language| ]]
[[Category:Fula–Tenda languages]]
[[Category:Languages of the Gambia]]
[[Category:Languages of Benin]]
[[Category:Languages of Burkina Faso]]
[[Category:Languages of Cameroon]]
[[Category:Languages of Guinea]]
[[Category:Languages of Guinea-Bissau]]
[[Category:Languages of Mali]]
[[Category:Languages of Mauritania]]
[[Category:Languages of Niger]]
[[Category:Languages of Nigeria]]
[[Category:Languages of Senegal]]
[[Category:Languages of Sierra Leone]]