mag ju góor
The Wolof word for brother is mag ju góor, ràkk ju góor or càmmiñ.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Wolof |
|---|
| mag ju góor |
| ràkk ju góor |
| càmmiñ |
In Wolof, the term you use for brother depends on whether the sibling is older or younger than you or if you are referring to a male sibling in a more general sense.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mag ju góor literally translates to 'big male' or 'large male'.
Which one should you use?
Use mag ju góor specifically when the brother is older than the speaker. Use ràkk ju góor specifically when the brother is younger than the speaker.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, càmmiñ can be used to refer to a close male friend or a peer, functioning similarly to the English slang 'bro'.
- The word góor shares a common linguistic ancestor with the word 'koor' in the Serer language.
- Wolof has a rich system of kinship terms that distinguishes not only by age and gender but also by whether a sibling is from the father's or mother's side in certain dialects.
Example sentences for Wolof are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Astou is asking Abdoulaye about his family.
- AstouAm nga mag ju góor?Do you have an older brother?
- AbdoulayeWaaw, am naa benn.Yes, I have one.
- AstouLan la mooy wax?What is his name?
- AbdoulayeMoussa laHis name is Moussa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries góor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
