Bayot language explained

Bayot
States:Senegal, Guinea-Bissau
Region:Ziguinchor, Cacheu
Date:2021–2022
Ref:e27
Dia1:Essin
Dia2:Kugere
Script:Latin
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Senegambian
Fam4:Bak–Bijago
Fam5:Jola–Papel
Fam6:Jola (or isolate?)
Iso3:bda
Glotto:bayo1262
Glottorefname:Bayot

Bayot is a language of southern Senegal, southwest of Ziguinchor in a group of villages near Nyassia, and in northwestern Guinea-Bissau, along the Senegalese border, and in the Gambia.

The Kugere and Kuxinge (Essin) dialects of Senegal and the Arame (Edamme) and Gubaare dialects of Guinea-Bissau are distinct enough to be sometimes considered different languages.

Bayot is the most divergent of the Jola languages, in the Senegambian branch of the Niger–Congo language family.

Bayot is grammatically Jola, apart from a non-Jola pronominal system. However, perhaps half its vocabulary is non-Jola and even non-Atlantic. It may therefore be a language isolate with substantial Jola borrowing (relexification). In any case, Bayot is clearly distinct from (other) Jola languages.

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