Jula

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A language of Côte d’Ivoire

ISO 639-3
dyu
Alternate Names
Dioula, Diula, Djula, Dyoula, Dyula, Jula Kong, Kong Jula, Tagboussikan
Autonym
Julakan
User Population

8,500,000 in Côte d’Ivoire, all users. L1 users: 1,500,000 in Côte d’Ivoire (2012 V. Vydrin). L2 users: 7,000,000 (2012 V. Vydrin). Total users in all countries: 12,504,000 (as L1: 2,226,000; as L2: 10,278,000).

Location

Savanes and Zanzan districts; widespread in all major cities.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). Widespread in all major cities.

Classification
Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Central-Southwestern, Central, Manding-Jogo, Manding-Vai, Manding-Mokole, Manding, Manding-East, Northeastern Manding, Bamana
Dialects

None known. Spoken as L1 or L2 by millions of people of diverse ethnic backgrounds in West Africa. Mutually intelligible with Bambara [bam], Kita Maninkakan [mwk], and Eastern Maninkakan [emk].

Language Use

Used as L2 by Abidji [abi], Abron [abr], Anyin [any], Attié [ati], Beng [nhb], Cebaara Sénoufo [sef], Dan [dnj], Djimini Sénoufo [dyi], Dogoso [dgs], Gban [ggu], Jeri Kuo [jek], Khe [kqg], Mwan [moa], Ngen [gnj], Nyabwa [nwb], Plapo Krumen [ktj], Southern Toussian [wib], Téén [lor], Tepo Krumen [ted], Tonjon [tjn], Toura [neb], Wan [wan], Wè Southern [gxx], Wè Western [wec], Yaouré [yre].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%. Taught as subject in some primary schools; taught in 3 cities (Seguela, Mankono, Kong) as pilot classes. Materials are being prepared to expand to 8 other languages. Literature. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2013.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Jula
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Latin script [Latn]. N’Ko script [Nkoo], used in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Other Comments

Majority ethnic Jula. Government designated as 1 of 5 languages to be developed for literature. Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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