The Tenda or Tanda are an ethnolinguistic group living in the southern
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
, northeastern
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to Guinea-Bissau–Senegal border, its north and Guinea to Guinea–Guinea-Bissau b ...
, and northern
Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
, comprising the
Bassari, the
Konyagui, the Bedik, and the Badiaranke.
Etymology
''Tenda'' is the
Mandinka
Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to:
Media
* Mandingo (novel), ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957
* Mandingo (film), ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel
* ''Man ...
word for a landing place or wharf, reflecting the Tenda region's historic importance as a river crossing.
[
]
History
The Tenda historically occupied much of what is now southeastern Senegal. In particular, the stretch of the Gambia river
The Gambia River (formerly known as the River Gambra, French language, French: ''Fleuve Gambie'', Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Rio Gâmbia'') is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward ...
between the Nieriko and Niokolo Koba was not navigable by water but offered many excellent fords. It was a preferred crossing place for caravans plying the trade routes that linked Kaabu
Kaabu (1537–1867), also written Gabu, Ngabou, and N'Gabu, was a federation of Mandinka kingdoms in the Senegambia region centered within modern northeastern Guinea-Bissau, large parts of today's Gambia, and extending into Koussanar, Kou ...
, the Futa Jallon
Fouta Djallon (, , ; ) is a highland region in the center of Guinea, roughly corresponding with Middle Guinea, in West Africa.
Etymology
The Fulani people call the region Fuuta-Jaloo ( ) in the Pular language. 'Futa' is a Fula word for any re ...
, the states of Senegambia, the gold fields of Bambouk
Bambouk (sometimes Bambuk or Bambuhu) is a traditional name for the territory in eastern Senegal and western Mali, encompassing the Bambouk Mountains on its eastern edge, the valley of the Faleme River and the hilly country to the east of the r ...
and Bure Bure may refer to:
Places Belgium
* Bure, Wallonia, Belgium, a small village in the Tellin municipality
* Battle of Bure, a World War II battle during the Battle of the Bulge
Eritrea and Ethiopia
* Bure (disputed zone), on the border between Eri ...
, and the great Niger river
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...
cities such as Djenné
Djenné (; also known as Djénné, Jenné, and Jenne) is a Songhai people, Songhai town and Communes of Mali, urban commune in the Inland Niger Delta region of central Mali. The town is the administrative centre of the Djenné Cercle, one of the ...
.[
]
Languages
The Tenda languages are a part of the Senegambian language
The Senegambian languages, traditionally known as the Northern West Atlantic, sometimes confusingly referred to in literature as the Atlantic languages, are a branch of Atlantic–Congo languages most commonly spoken in Senegal and neighboring ...
family.
References
Sources
* ''Traditions et changements dans les populations tenda : colloque international : Kédougou (Sénégal Oriental), 9-16 février 1978'', Centre de recherches anthropologiques, Musée de l'homme, Paris, 1978, p. 17 (in French)
{{Portal bar, Senegal, Guinea
Ethnic groups in Guinea-Bissau
Ethnic groups in Guinea
Ethnic groups in Senegal