Fouta-Djallon linguistic ecology: Between polyglossia and small-scale multilingualism

Aims and objectives: The aim is to investigate, at the level of language ideology and language practice, a hybrid type of multilingualism attested in Guinea. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is done in the framework of small-scale multilingualism studies, exploring, at the same time, the boundaries of the notion ‘small-scale multilingualism’. Data and analysis: The analysis is based on first-hand fieldwork data (2009–2020). I first analyze the historical and political circumstances that gave rise to language ideology with respect to Kakabe, and then I investigate how it coincides with language practice or diverges from it. Findings/conclusions: Fouta-Djallon multilingualism has evolved in the context of a highly stratified state based on institutionalized slavery. The hybrid nature of this language ecology is closely tied with the on-going process of emancipation. On the one hand, Kakabe, the descendants of slaves, strive to assimilate, politically and religiously, with the more prestigious social group. On the other hand, since this assimilation cannot be complete, a multicultural identity is being created which involves the use of multiple languages. This is expressed in a semi-receptive mode of language production, as opposed to receptive multilingualism, typical of many small-scale multilingual ecologies as well in the fact that code-switching within one sentence is avoided, the same way as in small-scale multilingualism, yet, in stark contrast to the latter, borrowings are very common in Kakabe. Originality/implications: This case represents an interest for the study of multilingualism, since it combines characteristics of a strongly inegalitarian polyglossic type, on the one hand, with such features as reciprocity both in language transmission and language production, on the other hand. It also reveals the existence of a semi-receptive language production mode that has not been described before.

EFFECTS OF MILK FEEDING ON BLOOD GLUCOSE AND UREA LEVELS OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF (FOUTA DJALLON) KIDS.

SIXTEEN West African dwarf (Fouta Djallon) kids were maintained on four dietary treatments from the 4th day to 52 weeks of age in order to study the concentrations of glucose and urea in the plasma with advancing age_ The diet comprised fresh cow's milk and fresh goat's milk supplemented with chop­ped giant star grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis var robustus) plus creep and post-creep feeds. Post-absorption glucose concentration was generally higher than the pre-feeding level in all treatment groups. Glucose concentrations in the plasma were generally higher when kids were on milk feeding than when milk feeding was stopped. Kids on ad. lib. milk feeding had higher plasma glucose concentration one hour before and after feeding and grew faster than those on restricted amounts of milk feeding. This however tended to level off by the 52nd week of age. The concentration of glucose in the plasma declined consistently with age across all treatment groups. Kids consuming goat's milk showed a tendency for lower urea concentration in the plasma than those consuming cow's milk.

INFLUENCE OF CONCENTRATE SUPPLEMENTATION WITH BROWSE PLANT (GLIRICIDIA SEPIUM) ON NUTRIENT UTILIZATION AND GROWTH OF THE WEST AFRICAN DWARF (FOUTA DJALLON) KIDS

TWELVE West African dwarf (Fouta Djallon) kids, 4 to 6 months of age and weighing between 5.96 and 7.24kg, were used in the study of three dietary treatments involving a basal diet of browse plant (gliricidia Septum) supplemented with concentrate feed at 25 and 50% levels of dry matter intake to appetite. The diets were fed for a period of three months in order to estimate nutrient intake and utilization, protein and energy requirements including growth performances of the kids. Kids maintained on gliricidia sepium alone (G1000CO) needed significantly (P/0.05) more dry matter (DM) consumption to appetite (294.66 ± 14.941 g/day) than kids maintained on either 75% gliricidia sepium plus 25% concentrate (G75 C25) or 50% gliricidia sepium plus 50% concentrate (GC)50 (236.26±0.385kg) than either kids on treatments G100C0 or (GC)50 (6.84±0.214 and 6.92±0.313kg respectively). DM intake as a percentage of liveweight was about 3.60 +0.237%. The kids were in positive nitrogen balance and the nitrogen retention value ranged from 31.36 ±1.633 to 50.22 ±0.994%. Metabolic faecal nitrogen (MFN) and endogenous urinary nitrogen (ENU) were 0.232±0.005g/100g DM intake and 0.070 g/day wkg734 respectively. The biological value (BV) of the diets ranged from 56.79 to 75.62%. The digestible crude protein (DCP) requirement for maintenance was 0.853±0.133 g/day/wkg734 while the DCP requirement for liveweight gain was 0.030±0.001 g/day/wkg734 per g of liveweight gain. The digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable (ME) energy requirements for maintenance were 124.42±3.274 kcal/day/wkg734 and 100.78 + 4.588 kcal/day/wkg734 respectively. Results showed that the utilization of the browse plant (gliricidia sepium) by the kids was best when fed at 75% browse plus 25% concentrate.

PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE WEST AFRICAN DWARF (Fouta djallon) GOATS FED SPONDIAS MOMBIN Plus CONCENTRATE.

The effects of supplementing Spondias mombin The plant grows effectively on tropical humid with a concentrated diet were investigated with respect to dry matter and crude protein intakes ability, retention, feed efficiency and growth rate in and harsh conditions. 50 young female West African dwarf (Fouta djallon) goats in a 90% - day feeding trial. The rate, mean dry matter intake was significantly (P<0.05) different from one another with regard to different supplementation levels while the highest dry matter intake was exhibited by : the does fed with 25% browse plus 75% concentrate diet. The does on 75% browse plus concentrate diet indicated the best performance in terms of growth rate (106g/day) and feed efficiency (0.391). The highest crude protein intake (86.21g/day) and protein retention (57.18g/ W0.75kg) were induced by 50% of browse and 50% concentrate supplement. The protein requirement for maintenance in the does was 24,459/Wk0.75.

Retrospective study on some diseases causing mortality in West African Dwarf (Fouta djallon) goats during the first year of life: an eight-year study

During an eight-year-study involving 242 kids born between 1993-2000, kid mortality for kids up to / year old was 47.52%. Irrespective of the age group, mortality was generally very high in young kids. The patterns of deaths were as follows: 29.57% before 3 months; 26.96% between 3 and 6 months, 12.17% between 6 and 9 months while 31.30% died between 9 and 12 months of age. Mortality rate for the 6-9 months period was significantly lower (P<0.05) than at other periods. The causes of kids' mortality were bad mothering abilities, malnutrition and disease. Pneumonia (37.39%) and pneumoenteritis (34.78%) were the major causes of death during the first year of life It was found out that kid with birth weight below 1.0kg and twins died before weaning. The introduction of new goat is a source of infectious disease especially PPR in the herd/flock. Also observed, as source is the introduction of new goats at age group 9-12 month. It is recommended that disease prevention, good management including the provision of adequate feeds for good growth and efficient veterinary care should be provided for goats in their first year of lif

Are the Fouta Djallon Highlands Still the Water Tower of West Africa?

A large share of surface water resources in Sahelian countries originates from Guinea’s Fouta Djallon highlands, earning the area the name of “the water tower of West Africa”. This paper aims to investigate the recent dynamics of the Fouta Djallon’s hydrological functioning. The evolution of the runoff and depletion coefficients are analyzed as well as their correlations with the rainfall and vegetation cover. The latter is described at three different space scales and with different methods. Twenty-five years after the end of the 1968–1993 major drought, annual discharges continue to slowly increase, nearly reaching a long-term average, as natural reservoirs which emptied to sustain streamflows during the drought have been replenishing since the 1990s, explaining the slow increase in discharges. However, another important trend has been detected since the beginning of the drought, i.e., the increase in the depletion coefficient of most of the Fouta Djallon upper basins, as a consequence of the reduction in the soil water-holding capacity. After confirming the pertinence and significance of this increase and subsequent decrease in the depletion coefficient, this paper identifies the factors possibly linked with the basins’ storage capacity trends. The densely populated areas of the summit plateau are also shown to be the ones where vegetation cover is not threatened and where ecological intensification of rural activities is ancient.

Position et location en peul, l’usage de ka au Fouta Djallon

RésuméLe but de cette contribution est d’analyser les particules locatives en peul, plus particulièrement l’emploi de ka dans le dialecte du Fouta Djallon. L’étude a été menée majoritairement sur la base des données empiriques auxquelles s’ajoutent quelques données secondaires issues de sources publiées. Les données primaires ont été collectées entre mai et décembre 2017 en Guinée à partir de la variété du Fouta Djallon, qui est parlée en Guinée, en Sierra Leone, en Guinée-Bissau et dans la partie sud de la Gambie. L’analyse a conduit aux constats suivants : (i) il existe un répertoire varié de marqueurs pour exprimer la localisation : ce sont entre autres, ka, ɗo, to, ko, e et ga; (ii) ceux-ci sont distribués différemment dans les divers dialectes. Fouta Toro et Macina partagent certaines caractéristiques communes en utilisant ɗo, ga et to, alors que dans le dialecte du Fouta Djallon, où se complètent les particules locatives ka et e, émerge ko dans les agglomérations urbaines, ce qui vient enrichir davantage le répertoire des particules locatives de ce dialecte.

On vortices initiated over West Africa and their impact on North Atlantic tropical cyclones

&lt;p&gt;Numerous low and mid-level vortices are initiated respectively north and south of 15&amp;#176;N in West Africa and enter the North Atlantic where they may trigger cyclogenesis. Applying an objective vortex tracking algorithm on 38 years of meteorological re-analysis, this work investigates the vortex origin and their role in cyclogenesis with an emphasis on: (i) orography, (ii) seasonal variations and, (iii) merge between low and mid-level vortex tracks. North path vortices are mostly initiated downstream of Hoggar Mountains (5&amp;#176;E, 24&amp;#176;N) and south path vortices are mostly initiated downstream of Fouta Djallon Mountains (15&amp;#176;W, 10&amp;#176;N). About 55% of cyclogeneses in the Main Development Region (MDR: east of 60&amp;#176;W; 5 to 20&amp;#176;N) is associated with vortices initiated on the continent east of 10&amp;#176;W. MDR cyclonic activity is governed by seasonal and interannual variations of the local Genesis Potential Index (maximal in August-September) and not by the number of vortices entering the Ocean. North path vortices, which are more numerous in July, are thus less cyclogenetic compared to south path vortices that are more numerous in August-September. Considering together vortices initiated on the continent and near the coast, about 20% of the cyclogeneses are associated with merge of north and south path vortices and about 14% with north path vortices only. The remaining part is mostly associated with south path vortices. In addition, south path vortices with greater intensity and vertical development between Greenwich and the coast are more cyclogenetic.&lt;/p&gt;