What is Adlam?
Across Africa, the Fulani language (also commonly known as Pular and Fulfulde) is spoken by almost 40 million people. Since the 11th Century, with the advent of Islam, Fulani speakers have used the Arabic alphabet. However, the difference in sounds between Fulani and Arabic means a writing system based on Arabic reduces clarity. In the 1980s the Latin alphabet began to be used, but without standardization, the exchange of reading materials between communities of Fulani speakers often posed problems.
The creation of the script
In 1990, with the inadequacies of these scripts in mind, brothers from Guinea, Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry, began by picturing shapes they felt represented the sounds and produced graphemes (letters) for each. The two brothers were tested on reading and writing this alphabet separately. What each read and wrote was exactly the same – this alphabet clearly worked.
The name of the script was decided to be Adlam which, as well as the sounds of the first four letters of the alphabet, stands for Alkule Dandayɗe Leñol Mulugol meaning ‘the alphabet that protects the peoples from disappearing’, and this is exactly the goal – to empower the people who speak Fulani with a script that works for them as well as to bolster a sense of identity and pride in their language.
Has the creation of this new script succeeded?
The spread of this script was quick and impressive. The first learner was the brothers’ sister, then their fellow students who helped to pass it on, which soon spread to Fulani speakers of all ages in Guinea and beyond.
This effort has also been improved in recent years by organisations like Winden Jangen which takes materials written in Fulani in Arabic or Latin scripts and transcribes them to the Adlam script. On top of this, materials are available on YouTube as well as on Android apps to learn the script, and there are apps now where it is possible to text in this script.
In comparison to other scripts, Adlam is more accurate and clearer for writing the Fulani language and has improved literacy rates among Fulani speakers. New revisions take inspiration from traditional textile patterns and designs, incorporating history and culture into the very letters.
What are the barriers to success?
While the importance of this script is acknowledged by many, the reality is that it requires support from Fulani speakers to survive and flourish. Fulani language materials are available in Latin and Arabic script and thus it might sometimes be easier to use these over the Adlam script. However, the use of this script creates cohesion among fellow speakers and an accurate portrayal of the rich diversities of the language.
Conclusion
According to the UN, the enormous linguistic diversity across Africa is at risk. Ways of preserving the culture, memory, and heritage that is innate to these languages are important and a writing system like Adlam that allows accurate written expression and holds the value of the language at its heart is key in this effort.
