Dictionnaire gouro-français

Abstract

This dictionary includes approximately 2,400 entries and contains lexical data on the Guro language, which belongs to the Southern Mande group of the Niger-Congo language family (Côte d'Ivoire). It primarily represents language varieties of the Zuénoula dialectal area, but in some cases comparative information on other dialects is also provided. A lexical database originating from the works of Jean-Paul Benoist (1977), Joseph Le Saout (1979), and Henri-Claude Grégoire (1975) was significantly expanded uppon and refined during the authors’ fieldwork, conducted from 2005 to 2019 both in Abidjan and in areas where Guro is traditionally spoken. This included elicitation, audiorecording and analysis of spontaneous texts of different genres, and the clarification of data pertaining to flora and fauna. As a result, the dictionary provides a significant amount of new information about traditional Guro beliefs and practices, as well as about their modern daily life. A significant amount of clarification related to phonological information was included, and extensive information about the morphology of various parts of speech was added. The dictionary was created primarily to assist the native speakers of Guro in promoting literacy in their language. It is also intended for linguists and anyone interested in the Guro language.

Keywords

• bilingual lexicography
• Mande languages
• Southern Mande
• Guro