Serer Languages
Most people who identify themselves as Serer speak the Serer language. This is spoken in Sine-Saloum, Kaolack, Diourbel, Dakar, and in Gambia, and is part of the national curriculum of Senegal. Historically the Serer people’s unwillingness to trade directly during the colonial era was a double edged sword to the Serer language as well as the Cangin languages. That resulted in the Wolof language being the dominant language in the market place as well as the factories. However, the Serer language among with other local languages are now part of the national curriculum of Senegal.
About 200,000 Serer speak various Cangin languages, such as Ndut and Saafi, which are not closely related to Serer proper (Serer-Sine language). There are clear lexical similarities among the Cangin languages. However, they are more closely related to other languages than to Serer, and vice versa. For comparison in the table below, 85% is approximately the dividing line between dialects and different languages.
| Cangin languages and Serer proper | % Similarity with Serer-Sine | % Similarity with Noon | % Similarity with Saafi | % Similarity with Ndut | % Similarity with Palor | % Similarity with Lehar (Laalaa ) | Areas they are predominantly found | Estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehar language (Laalaa) | 22 | 84 | 74 | 68 | 68 | N/A | West central, north of Thies, Pambal area, Mbaraglov, Dougnan; Tambacounda area. Also found in the Gambia | 12,000 (Senegal figures only (2007) |
| Ndut language | 22 | 68 | 68 | N/A | 84 | 68 | West central, northwest of Thiès | 38,600 (Senegal figures only (2007) |
| Noon language | 22 | N/A | 74 | 68 | 68 | 84 | Thiès area. | 32,900 (Senegal figures only (2007) |
| Palor language | 22 | 68 | 74 | 84 | N/A | 68 | West central, west southwest of Thiès | 10,700 (Senegal figures only (2007) |
| Saafi language | 22 | 74 | N/A | 68 | 74 | 74 | Triangle southwest of and near Thiès (between Diamniadio, Popenguine, and Thiès) | 114,000 (Senegal figures only (2007) |
| Serer-Sine language (not a Cangin language) | N/A | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | West central; Sine and Saloum River valleys. Also in the Gambia and small number in Mauritania | 1,154,760 (Senegal - 2006 figures); 31,900 (the Gambia - 2006 figures) and 3,500 (Mauritania 2006 figures) |
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