The Kassonke (Khassonké) language, Xaasongaxango (Xasonga), or Western Maninka (Malinke), is a Manding language spoken by the Khassonké and Malinke of western Mali and by the Malinke of eastern Senegal. Kassonke is an official language in Mali. Western and Eastern Maninka are 90% mutually intelligible, though distinct from the Mandinka (Malinke) of southern Senegal, which is a national language there.

Kassonke
Western Maninka
Xaasongaxango
Native toMali
EthnicityKassonke, Malinke
Native speakers
2.5 million (2009–2022)[1]
Niger–Congo ?
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Mali
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
kao – Kassonke
mlq – Western Malinke (Malinka)
Glottologxaas1235  Xaasongaxango
west2500  Western Maninkakan

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Kassonke at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)  
    Western Malinke (Malinka) at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)  

Further reading edit

  • Koite-Herschel, Ute (Autumn 1981). "La translation du constituent verbal: le cas du xasonga" (PDF). Mandenkan. 2: 3–16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-07.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  • Sullivan, Terrence D. (2004). A preliminary report of existing information on the Manding languages of West Africa: summary and suggestions for future research (Report). SIL Electronic Survey Reports. Vol. 2004–005.