This morning on RFI Mandenkan I had the pleasure of hearing Senegal's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sidiki Kaba, comment in Manding on Donald Trump's categorization of Haiti and African countries as "shitholes".
ߊ߲ ߦߴߊ߬ ߟߊߡߍ߲߫ (Let's listen!)
Linguistically, there's some interesting usages in his remarks. Briefly a few that stick out to me:
ߝߕߌߣߍ fitinɛ: 'quarrel' (< Ar. فتنة fitnah)
At ~1:19 I think I hear the following:
ߣߌ߲߬ ߓߍ߫ ߕߍ ߕߌߢߍ߫ (Nin bɛ tɛ tiɲɛ): 'This breaks relations'
I believe this is an interesting case of conversion of the post-position ߕߍ߫ tɛ 'between' (typically cɛ in standard Bambara) into a noun meaning 'relation(ship)'
Finally, there's the use of the verb ߣߊ߰ߕߌ߫ naati (bring [about]) which appears in dictionaries such as Bailleul's but which I have rarely encountered in eastern Manding varieties. It only shows up a handful of times in the written Bambara corpus.
Other remarks, interpretations or questions? Feel free to comment!
VOA Bambara headlines from March 23, 2020 interpreted into standard orthography and translated into English