Maninka
/ˌmænɪŋˈkɑː/noun
A Mande language of West Africa, or a member of the Maninka-speaking people.
Did you know?Maninka is closely associated with the oral traditions of the Mande world, where griots preserve history, genealogy, and epic narratives through performance.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval period
Mande
Mande
“Name associated with the Mande cultural and linguistic region of West Africa; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
13th–16th centuries
Mande
Manding
“Regional and cultural designation connected with the Mali Empire and the wider Mande-speaking world.”
Early modern period
European usage
Mandingo
“Historical European form used for Mande-speaking peoples, especially in accounts of West Africa; the term is now often avoided because of its later racialized use.”
19th century
French
malinké
“French ethnonym and language name for the Maninka-speaking people and their language.”
19th–20th centuries
English
Maninka
“English form referring to the Maninka people or their language, especially in Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.”
Modern English
English
Maninka
“A Mande language and the associated West African ethnic group.”