Kassonke language
Manding language of Mali and Senegal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kassonke (Khassonké) language, Xaasongaxango (Xasonga), or Western Maninka (Malinke), is a Manding language spoken by the Khassonké and Malinke of western Mali and by the Malinke of eastern Senegal. Kassonke is an official language in Mali. Western and Eastern Maninka are 90% mutually intelligible, though distinct from the Mandinka (Malinke) of southern Senegal, which is a national language there.
| Kassonke | |
|---|---|
| Western Maninka | |
| Xaasongaxango | |
| Native to | Mali |
| Ethnicity | Kassonke, Malinke |
Native speakers | 2.5 million (2009–2022)[1] |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Mali |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:kao – Kassonkemlq – Western Malinke (Malinka) |
| Glottolog | xaas1235 Xaasongaxangowest2500 Western Maninkakan |
