Fulani

[ foo-lah-nee, foo-lah- ]

noun,plural Fu·la·nis, (especially collectively) Fu·la·ni for 1.

Also Fulah [foo-lah] /ˈfu lɑ/ . a member of a pastoral and nomadic people of mixed African and Mediterranean ancestry, scattered through western Africa from Senegal to Cameroon.
the language of the Fulani, a Niger-Congo language closely related to Wolof.

Also Ful [fool], /fʊl/, Fula [foo-luh, fool-uh], /ˈfu lə, ˈfʊl ə/, (French) Peul [pool, French pœl] /pul, French pœl/ .

Words Nearby Fulani

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Fulani in a sentence

Also in Africa’s most populous nation, a growing scramble for limited resources between farmers and herders has in recent years spiraled into a deadly ethnic conflict between the Fulani and Hausa communities.
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The Fulani are traditionally herders while the Hausa are mostly farmers.
Butterfly Effect: It’s Time to Wake Up to Nigeria’s Nightmare | Charu Kasturi | June 17, 2021 | Ozy
While there, said Blake, “somebody calls her and they were speaking Fulani.”
The DSK Maid's Public Battle | Christopher Dickey | July 29, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
Thompson said the tape was played Wednesday for Diallo in her native Fulani language and an interpreter explained what was on it.
The Real DSK Maid Tape | John Solomon | July 28, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
But it was in the dialect of the West African Fulani language and for weeks no translation was available.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Accuser’s Detained “Fiancé” Amara Tarawally Speaks | Christine Pelisek, Terry Greene Sterling, Christopher Dickey | July 13, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

As I left him, I clasped his hand and said "jaarama"—thank you, in Fulani.
How the Gambia is Fighting FGC | Julia Lalla-Maharajh | February 5, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
I fear, however, these are exceptional cases and that the ordinary life of the women of the ruling Fulani class is a hard one.
Our Moslem Sisters | Annie Van Sommer
The Fulani rulers, following the Eastern fashion, have large harems and keep their women very secluded.
Our Moslem Sisters | Annie Van Sommer
The Fulani, however, still continue to bring us milk, and butter for cooking.
A Camera Actress in the Wilds of Togoland | Meg Gehrts

British Dictionary definitions for Fulani

Fulani

/ (fuːˈlɑːnɪ, ˈfuːlənɪ) /

noun

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
plural -nis or -ni another name for Fula (def. 1)

plural -nis or -ni a humped breed of cattle from W Africa

adjective

of or relating to the Fula or their language

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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