loanwords.md

Non-translated and Loan Words

Localized term vs. English term

The preferred language in the computer world is English. Therefore, a translator frequently has to decide whether to use the (correct, but obsolete) translation or simply the English word.

Inflections

The examples below show how English loanwords inflect for number in.

English example	Bambara examples
Websites	siti wɛbu
Proxys	proxiw

Singular & Plural

In Bambara, when the letter w is placed at the end of a word, it marks the plural of the word and is pronounced ou.

English	Bambara, singular	Bambara, plural	Signification
Tool	minɛn	minɛnw	Minein’ou
name	tɔgɔ	tɔgɔw	Togo’ou

Verbs and Verb Forms

The auxiliary to be and to have often translate the same word in Bambara language bɛ. The negative form of the auxiliary bɛ is the word tɛ.

In Bambara, the word ye can also be translated translation of auxiliary be and have.

Auxiliary have also often results in Bambara with the word MA in negative phrases. These various cases cited above should be taken into account by the translator.

The use of French loans in the translation

Considering that the Bambara language is relatively weak in the field of new technology, and seeing as Mali is a Francophone country and that most of the new words in technology are adapted from French (and some uneducated people learning these terms will learn what’s spoken commonly every day, i.e. French), the use of French loanwoards is an acceptable thing. If the word has no meaning in Bambara, or if a Bambara neologism would mean a complicated translation that will not be understood by the majority of the people, French loan words should be used.

Example:

English	French	Bambara
Internet	Internet	Ɛntɛrinɛti
computer	ordinateur	ɔridinatɛri

Note: There are words which have several types of translation Bambara and in this case, the translator will select the translation most commonly used by the population.

Example:

English	French	Bambara
calendar	calendrier	kalandiriye / donjati
telephone	téléphone	telefɔni / nɛgɛjuru

Respect of Bambara orthography The French words that end with tion or xion take siyon at the end should be adapted as follows.

Example:

English	French	Bambara
connection	connexion	konɛkisiyon
geolocation	géolocalisation	jewolokalijasiyon

The French words that end with ier take iyɛ at the end should be adapted as follows.

Example:

English	French	Bambara
keypad	clavier	kilaviyɛ
integer	entier	anciyɛ

Note: In Bambara, words that contain a <š> are better replaced it with s unless it forms a minimal pair. In this case we will use sh.