Côte d'Ivoire Languages

Description
Alternative Names: Republic of Côte d'Ivoire; République de Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire, French for Ivory Coast, is a multilingual country with an estimated 78 languages currently spoken. But the official language, is French, it was introduced during the colonial period. This language is taught in schools and serves as a lingua franca in the country.

There are four major branches of the Niger-Congo language spoken among Ivoirians, including the Kwa, Atlantic, Mande, and Voltaic. Language areas correspond closely to the four cultural regions of the nation. Agni and Baoule, both Kwa languages, are the most widely spoken languages in the south.

In the north, variants of Mande and Senofu are the most widely spoken, but are also heard in almost all southern trading areas. No single African language is spoken by a majority of the population, and most Ivoirians speak two or more languages fluently.

French is used in schools and business and is spoken more frequently by men than by women. Arabic is taught in Quranic schools, which are most common in the north, and is spoken by immigrants from Lebanon and Syria. Many Ivoirians understand English, which is taught in high school and the National University of Côte d'Ivoire, but English is not a language of choice, even among the educated.

Word Lists
For word list and help researching Côte d'Ivoire records, see:
 * French Genealogical Word List

Alphabet and Pronunciation
The French alphabet is the same as English however the pronunciation is different for many letters. Alphabet pronunciations

VOWELS
The Vowels are A E I O U Y but they are not really considered just letters as much as they are a sound.

What most people call vowels are more precisely known as "oral vowels" in French, to set them apart from nasal vowels. listed here are the most common vowel sounds and combinations.

 A   is pronounced more or less like the a in "father."  AI  is pronounced as in "bait."  AU  is pronounced like "oh."

 E   is usually pronounced like oo in "good," unless it has an accent  EAU  is pronounced like "oh."  EU  is pronounced like oo in "good."

 I   is pronounced "ee."

 O   may be pronounced like "oh" or like the o in "son."  OI  is pronounced "wah."  OU  is pronounced like ou in "soup."

 U  is a very tricky sound with no English equivalent

Accent symbols over letters are á é ô ç ï œ.

(first word in Italix=French word, second word bold=English)

When spelling out loud, there are two different ways to indicate accents: by naming them as you go or by mentioning them at the end.

Par exemple : très
 * 1) t – r – e accent grave – s
 * 2) t – r – e – s, avec accent grave sur le e

É is known as e accent aigu, but may also be called simply é –learn more

There’s also a special character created by two vowels that join together: œ ligature.

There are two different ways to categorize French vowel sounds:

1. Sound production: oral vs nasal
 * Oral vowels are pronounced by passing air through the mouth: A   E   I   O   U
 * Nasal vowels are pronounced by passing air through the mouth and nose:  AN  IN   ON   UN

2. Effect on consonants: hard vs soft C onsonants C, G, and S have two different pronunciations in French: A hard sound and a soft sound. For C and G, the sound required in any given word depends on which vowel follows the consonant.


 * Hard vowels: A, O, U. When followed by any of these vowels (or by a consonant), the consonant has a hard pronunciation.
 * Soft vowels: E, I, Y. When followed by any of these vowels, the consonant has a soft pronunciation.

This distinction is very important for certain verbs, which require spelling changes in order to maintain a soft pronunciation in front of a hard vowel

CONSONANTS
More than half of French consonants are very similar to their English counterparts, while a few are completely different. Here’s a quick overview to help you get started.

Ten French consonants are pronounced more or less the same in French and English, they are: B  D   F   K   L   P   V   X   Y   Z

Two letters are pronounced as in English in some places (e.g., at the beginning of a word) but completely differently in others (such as at the end of a word) They are: M  N

Four French consonants are pronounced differently depending on what letter follows them, They are: C  G   S   T

One letter is always silent, that is : H

Finally, four consonants are completely different in French than in English, they are: J   Q   R   W

Language Aids and Dictionaries
Translator write the word/words on the English side. French word with appear on the opposite side and there is a speaker symbol, click that and it will translate the sound of the word/words in French.

Additional Resources

 * For more on pronounciations of consonants go here Consonant letters and a Pronunciation Guides click on letter and it will take you to the page that discusses that letter with examples
 * Read more: Côte d'Ivoire
 * Country Studies Ethnic Groups and Languages.
 * Countries and Their Cultures
 * Google Books A Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language: Arranged with Reference to the ...
 * More about the Kaw language, click here