Fulfulde/Fula/Peul/Pulaar/Fulani
Herding Reading Comprehension Lesson
Read the text below (practice reading it aloud), then answer the questions to test your comprehension.
Durngol woni alaada Pullo. Fulɓe Wooɗeeɓe yo baaɲaaji tan; jokkuɓe daabaaji maɓɓe. Ley ladde tan ɓe ngoni. Ɓe killaaka ko woni ley wuro! Ɓe koɗataa fay-fokku tawa ɓe eggan tan tewtude huɗo e lamɗam (to leydi ndii lammi) e ndiyam (so ndiyam ɓunndu maa weendu maa nawre). Nduŋngu tawa ɓe saahal; ceeɗu ley burgu nguu.
So kosam woodii faa heewi, rewɓe Fulɓe cippan. E dow cippal tan ɓe keɓa gawri maa maaro. Saatu e saatu ɓe cottan huunde e daabaaji ɗi, ɓe keɓa kaalisi, ɓe cooda haajuuji maɓɓe. Ley yaange tan (wayi no lamru maa kuurtinooji) jawdi maɓɓe hirsete teewu nguu ɲaamee.
Comprehension Questions
- Ko woni alaada Fulɓe ɓee?
- Fulɓe Woɗeeɓe ɓee, koɗum ɓee ngaɗata? Hoto ɓe ngoni?
- Eɓe njiɗi ley wuro ngoo?
- Koɗum Fulɓe ɓee tewtata hitaande fuu?
- Hoto ɓe ngoni nduŋngu? Ceeɗu?
- Fulɓe Woɗeeɓe, eɓe cotta ko heewi e daabaaji maɓɓe?
- Mande daabaji maɓɓe kirsetee?
- Teewu ɲaametee ko heewi maa seeɗa tan?
Vocabulary Bank
| Fulfulde | English |
| durude | to herd |
| durngol | herding |
| doroowo / durooɓe | herder(s) |
| alaada/alaadaaji | custom(s), way of life |
| Boɗeejo, Wooɗeeɓe | sub-group of Fulɓe known for being herders and highly nomadic |
| daaba/daabaaji | animal(s) |
| jokkude | to follow |
| jokkuɗo/jokkuɓe | one who follows |
| ladde/laddeeji | the bush |
| hilleede (neg. pl. killaaka) | to be interested in (not interested in, don’t care) |
| fay-nokku | nowhere |
| tawa, tawde, tawi | since / because/ it happens that |
| eggude | to move, move around |
| huɗo/ huɗooli | grass |
| lammude | to be salty/bitter |
| ɓunndu/ ɓulli | well(s) |
| weendu/beeli | temporary rain-fed pool of water |
| nawre/nabbi | pond, pool, lake (s) |
| saahal | the north |
| burgu/burguuji | rich pasture grass land within the Niger Delta during flooding |
| sippude | to barter or sell milk |
| cippal | bartering/selling of milk (noun) |
| e dow | based upon, depending on |
| yaange/yaangeeji | festival, celebration, herding |
| lamru/lamruuji | naming ceremony |
| kuurtinooji | wedding festivities |
| jawdi/ jawɗeele | livestock, wealth(s) |
| hirsude | to slaughter |
| hirseede | to be slaughtered (passive) |
| ɲaameede | to be eaten (passive) |
Answer Key
- Durngol woni alaada Fulɓe.
- Fulɓe Wooɗeeɓe koɗataa fay-noku. Ɓe ngoni le ladde tan.
- Ɓe njiɗa (na killaaka) ngoni ley wuro.
- Fulɓe tewta huɗo e lamɗam e ndiyam hitaande fuu.
- Fulɓe Wooɗeeɓe ngoni saahal ley nduŋngu. Ley ceeɗu ɓe ngoni burgu nguu.
- Ɓe cottata daabaaji maɓɓe kaa rewɓe Fulɓe cottan kosam so ɓe ngoni ɗam faa heewi.
- Eɓe kirsa daabaaji maɓɓe ley yaange tan.
- Teewu ɲaametee seeɗa tan.
