Solomana Kanté (1922-1987) was a Guinean linguist and educator known for having invented the N'Ko alphabet, a script intended to transcribe the Mandingue languages of West Africa. Born in Koloni in the Kankan region, he grew up in a family of educators before going on a business adventure in Côte d'Ivoire where he developed, after five years of effort, the N'Ko writing system that he introduced to the world in 1949.
A prolific author, he wrote many books in N'Ko covering various subjects such as the learning of the alphabet, the history of the Manding Empires, religion and literature. A pioneer of literacy in his mother tongue, Kanté left a lasting legacy by preserving and promoting African languages through his revolutionary invention.
Introduction
Solomana Kanté (also known as Souleymane Kanté) was a Guinean linguist and educator born in 1922 in Koloni, in the Kankan region of Guinea. He is best known for inventing the N'Ko alphabet, a script intended to transcribe the Mandingue languages of West Africa. A pioneer of literacy in his mother tongue, Kanté has left a lasting legacy in the preservation and promotion of African languages.
Education
Born in a family of educators, Solomana Kanté was introduced from an early age to the importance of learning and the transmission of knowledge. His father, Amara Kanté, ran a private religious school in Soumankoi, where he instructed his students in Islamic knowledge. After the death of his father in 1941, the young Solomana, aged 19, had to leave the management of the establishment to his older brothers and go on an adventure.
Invention of N'Ko
It was during his travels to Côte d'Ivoire, where he was engaged in commercial activities, that Solomana Kanté was inspired to create his own writing system. After reading an article criticising African languages for their alleged lack of grammar rules, he decided to prove the contrary by developing a writing adapted to the sounds and structure of the Mandingue language. After five years of research and experimentation, he introduced his N'Ko alphabet to the world on April 14, 1949.
Controversy
Although widely recognized as the inventor of the N'Ko alphabet, a recent study by Haitian researcher Rodney Salnave has questioned this paternity. According to Salnave, N'Ko was actually invented two centuries earlier, in the early 1700s, by Ngolo Diarra, the future king of the bambara kingdom of Ségou in Mali. Solomana Kanté, whose family is from Ségou, would simply have revived the use of this alphabet, which he would have inherited from his ancestors.
Works
Solomana Kanté was a prolific author, writing numerous books in N'Ko on a variety of subjects, ranging from the learning of the alphabet to the history of the Mandinga empires to religion, health and literature. Among his best-known works are "The Practical Method of N'ko Writing", "The History of Samory Touré", "History of the Mandingues" and "The Holy Koran, and the Translation of its Meaning into N’ko".
Legacy
Solomana Kanté's legacy is immense and lasting. His invention of the N'Ko alphabet helped to preserve and promote the Mandingue languages, which are spoken by millions of people in West Africa. Today, the alphabet is taught in many schools in Guinea, Mali and Côte d'Ivoire, and its use has spread to other languages in the region.
Conclusion
Solomana Kanté was a visionary who dedicated his life to the promotion of African languages and cultures. His invention of the N'Ko alphabet gave a written voice to millions of speakers of Mandingue languages, thereby contributing to the preservation of their rich linguistic and cultural heritage. Although controversial, her work remains a major contribution to literacy and the promotion of linguistic diversity in Africa.
