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Fulani

American  
[foo-lah-nee, foo-lah-] / ˈfu lɑ ni, fʊˈlɑ- /
(French) Ful

noun

Fulanis, plural Fulani plural
  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.


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

"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

adjective

  1. 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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The nomadic Fulani and Tuareg communities have been particularly targeted, often accused of links to jihadists or separatists.

From Barron's May 19, 2026

While those considered "settlers" include many from Muslim communities, like the Fulani, even if they have lived on the land for generations.

From BBC Mar. 21, 2026

Aliyu Abdullahi Isa, a 25-year-old Fulani herder, knows the names of all the 20 white cattle grazing on the remains of dry stalks of maize.

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

They tell of the great herds of the Fulani, who peddle their hides even upon the Slave Coast, whence my mother was dispatched.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

He says most Fulanis living in Irigwe areas were forced to flee.

From BBC Mar. 21, 2026

Most of the herders belong to the Fulanis, an ethnic group.

From Seattle Times May 28, 2023

The growth of militancy among Buhari’s ethnic Fulanis has only fuelled simplistic narratives further.

From The Guardian Oct. 31, 2020

“It is not as if the world is so simple — that Fulanis are bad and Beroms are good. Both groups have both kinds of people. We have to be on the side of peace.”

From Washington Post Dec. 10, 2018

A group of Fulanis in the New York region are now organizing a nationwide campaign in the United States to draw attention to their quest for justice.

From New York Times Sep. 13, 2011

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