Fula (or Fulani, Pulaar, Fulfulde) is a widely spoken language in West and Central Africa, belonging to the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo language family. While Fula has very unique linguistic features, several languages share some similarities with it due to historical, cultural, and geographic connections. According to the eLinguistics.net analysis using specific software modules to assess linguistic relationships, the five languages most similar to Fula are Wolof, Mossi, Serer, Igbo, and Kongo.
- Wolof (29.9)
The Wolof language is another prominent Niger-Congo language and shares close ties with Fula. Many Wolof speakers live in the same regions as Fula speakers, contributing to linguistic exchanges over generations. Although their phonetic structures differ, these languages have mutual vocabulary influences due to historical trade, social interaction, and intermarriage among the Wolof and Fula communities. - Mossi (27.0)
Spoken in Burkina Faso, Mossi belongs to the Gur branch of Niger-Congo. While it is not as closely related to Fula as Wolof, it shares commonalities in syntax and some vocabulary due to prolonged contact between Mossi and Fulani populations in the Sahel region. Both languages have been influenced by Mande languages as well. - Serer (23.1)
Another Atlantic language, Serer is structurally and lexically closer to Fula than many other languages in West Africa. It retains noun class distinctions similar to those in Fula and shares several core vocabulary terms. Additionally, the Serer people have historical ties with Fulani-speaking communities in Senegal and Gambia. - Igbo (24.1)
Primarily spoken in Nigeria, Igbo is from the Volta-Niger branch, so is not directly related to Fula but shares some linguistic features, such as tone usage and verb serialization. Cultural interactions through trade and migration between Fulani and Igbo groups in Nigeria have also resulted in some vocabulary borrowings. - Kongo (24.1)
Kongo, spoken primarily in Central Africa, is part of the Bantu subgroup of Niger-Congo. Though distant from Fula, it shares some phonetic patterns and syntactical similarities due to the overarching Niger-Congo structure. Additionally, Fulani migrations into Central Africa have facilitated linguistic exchanges with Bantu-speaking groups.
(to be considered for the list, the language must be spoken by at least one million people)