288 km away
The largest Mande Niger-Congo language and the lingua franca of Mali. Closely related to Dyula and Maninka in a wider Manding dialect continuum across West Africa.
Maninka
Also known as: Malinke, Mandinka
A Manding Niger-Congo language of Upper Guinea and adjacent Mali. The historical language of the Mali Empire and the closest living relative of the Mandinka of Senegambia.
Shareable facts
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Maninka?
Maninka is a dialect of the Maninka language.
Where is Maninka spoken?
Maninka is primarily spoken in Guinea, Mali.
Which region is Maninka associated with?
Maninka is part of the West & Central Africa region on DialectAtlas.
Is Maninka known by other names?
Yes — Maninka is also referred to as Malinke, Mandinka.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →341 km away
An Atlantic Niger-Congo language spoken by Fulani (Peul) communities across the Sahel from Senegal to Sudan. One of the most geographically spread African languages, with 25-30 million speakers.
380 km away
A Mande Niger-Congo language and the largest indigenous language of Sierra Leone. Notable for the Kikakui syllabary, an indigenous 19th-century writing system.
407 km away
A Manding Niger-Congo language used as a trade lingua franca across northern Côte d'Ivoire, western Burkina Faso, and adjoining areas. Closely related to Bambara and Maninka.
476 km away
A Mande Niger-Congo language and the main lingua franca of coastal Guinea, including the capital Conakry. Around 1.5 million first-language speakers.
481 km away
An English-based creole and the lingua franca of Sierra Leone, used by virtually the entire population. Descended from the speech of liberated Africans resettled in Freetown in the 19th century.