Réflexion sur les crises inaperçues dans les langues africaines : Le baoulé de côte d'ivoire

This article analyzes the Baoulé language, focusing on lexicalization, linguistic borrowings, and translation challenges in Côte d’Ivoire. At the end of the 19th century, linguistic awareness emerged around Ivorian languages such as Baoulé, initiating fundamental research and the translation of important works, including the Bible. However, many African researchers limited the study of local natural languages by sometimes favoring erroneous interpretations, notably by wrongly attributing African borrowings to foreign languages such as Portuguese. For example, Koffi Tougbo (2010) argued that certain Baoulé words, like «alaka» (coffin), were Portuguese borrowings, whereas an examination of the Baoulé lexicon and cultural expressions contradicts this hypothesis, highlighting the intrinsic richness and unique history of the Baoulé lexicon.

The article is based on a theoretical analysis of lexicalization, defined as the process by which linguistic units and their meanings become lexically recognized, according to authors such as Bally (1932), Faitelson-Weiser (1980), and Blasco Mateo (2002). The methodology combines empirical, descriptive, and synchronic analysis with diachronic and translation studies approaches. This allows the examination, based on authentic corpora and conversations between native speakers, of the true mechanisms of Baoulé word formation, deconstructing preconceived notions of Portuguese borrowings. Recommendations are also proposed for the training and professional recognition of translators-interpreters of minority languages in Côte d’Ivoire, from legal, social, and political perspectives, in order to protect vulnerable populations.

Lexicalization includes two main types: formal lexicalization — where phrases become compound words (for example, «sran + ble» > «man + black» > «sranble» > an «African») — and semantic lexicalization, by which a grammatical element acquires a lexical function and meaning, such as «asiɛusubi» («drug») derived from «asiɛ usu bi» («excrement of the forest spirit»). These mechanisms explain the internal formation of the Baoulé lexicon without resorting to unjustified foreign borrowings.

Moreover, lexicalized borrowings in Baoulé are mostly of English or French origin and are phonologically and morphologically adapted to the language, such as «school» becoming «sukulu». The use of borrowings often responds to the need to name modern or foreign realities, without denying Baoulé’s own constructions. The article also points out that ideas of Portuguese borrowings are often based on coincidences or linguistic false friends.

Regarding translation and interpretation, the article highlights a major professional crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, where amateur or incompetent translators are often used in legal contexts, compromising justice and the rights of minority language speakers such as Baoulé. The marginalization of African languages by Africans themselves within their institutions exacerbates this crisis.

The lack of knowledge and scientific rigor in the study and valorization of African languages — especially in translation and interpretation — generates a serious and unseen professional crisis that compromises the quality of linguistic services in Ivorian institutions, particularly judicial ones. To preserve Baoulé linguistic and cultural heritage, it is essential to develop thorough and rigorous research as well as specialized training in translation and interpretation, to ensure the competence of professionals and guarantee the rights of speakers in a multicultural and multilingual context.

Does the ISO 17100 standard not remind us of the importance of specialized skills to guarantee fair communication?