| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
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are popular only on community radio stations. The last chapter, Chapter 8, discusses the prospects of Wolof in the light of the major factors that have facilitated its expansion in the country. Due to its contact with other languages (French in particular), a variation of Wolof—Wolof mixed with words borrowed from French and other languages—has evolved and has gained recognition and prestige. This has come as a blow to some Wolof speakers, who have not yet come to terms with the growing hybridisation of their language. ‘Pure’ Wolof—Wolof without any borrowed words—has become the preferred variety for language purists and those Wolof-speaking people with no education in French. This book argues that the younger generations’ rapid shift toward using Wolof poses a serious threat to the linguistic ecology of Senegal and may lead to Wolof monolingualism, to the detriment of the other national languages.