Fulani

American  

[foo-lah-nee, foo-lah-] / ˈfu lɑ ni, fʊˈlɑ- /

(French) Ful

noun

plural

Fulanis,

plural

Fulani

1. Also Fulah a member of a pastoral and nomadic people of mixed African and Mediterranean ancestry, scattered through western Africa from Senegal to Cameroon.

2. the language of the Fulani, a Niger-Congo language closely related to Wolof.

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Fulani British  

/ ˈfuːlənɪ, fuːˈlɑːnɪ /

noun

1. the language of the Fula, belonging to the West Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family, widely used as a trade pidgin in W Africa

2. another name for Fula

3. a humped breed of cattle from W Africa

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Fula or their language

Example Sentences

Ngozi Fulani, from Sistah Space, a London based charity which supports women of African and Caribbean heritage affected by domestic and sexual abuse, said behaviour following trauma was often misunderstood.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

"Muslim, Christian, no problem. The Fulani are our brothers, the indigenes are our brothers, all," he says.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

He delivered the message in both the Bambara and Fulani languages, a sign that he hopes to unite the different communities in Mali.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

The gangs are largely composed of ethnic Fulani people, who are traditionally nomadic herders.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

I was sitting next to a Fulani fellow by the name of Jalloh, who said he had lived in Freetown.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah