Zarma

Zarma is a Songhay language spoken in Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

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Zarma · 12.9°N 2.4°E

Zarma (Zarma Ciine/Sanni; Ajami: زَرْمَ ݘِينٜ / زَرْمَ سَنِّ) is a Songhay language that is the leading indigenous language of the southwestern lobe of the West African nation of Niger, where the Niger River flows and the capital city, Niamey, is located. Zarma is the second-most common language in the country, after Hausa, which is spoken in south-central Niger. With over 6 million speakers, Zarma is the most widely spoken Songhay language.

In earlier decades, Zarma was rendered Djerma, using French orthography, but it is usually now 'Zarma', the form that the Zarma people use in their language.

Alternative names for Zarma are Djerma, Jerma, Dyabarma, Dyarma, Dyerma, Adzerma, Zabarma, Zarbarma, Zabarmanci or Zerma.

From Wikipedia · Zarma language · CC BY-SA 4.0

Written down

Fayanka kulu no si adamayzey nda care game ra i burcintara nda i alhakey ce-diraw kayandiyaŋ fondo ra da i na i hay. I gonda lakkal, nda laasaabu, kaŋ ga naŋ i ma baafunay ɲayzetaray haali ra.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR in Unicode).

Words in Zarma

Meaning	Word	Romanization
woman	woyboro
person	bor*
name	ma*
eye	mo*
ear	haNa*
nose	ninE*
tooth	hinE*
tongue	dEnE*
hand	kamba*
blood	kuri*
bone	biri*
skin	kuru*
knee	kanje*
breast	fafa*
liver	tasa*
water	hari
fire	nunE*
sun	woynE*
star	saney*
stone	bElE*
mountain	tondi*
tree	tuguri*
leaf	fita*
night	Cigi*
dog	haSi*
fish	ham*
louse	gani*
one	fo*
two	hiNka*
I	ay*