Language/Wolof/Culture/Social-stratification-or-caste

Senegalese traditional society is stratified by social groups called caste.

Castes stemmed from the labor division that was in vigor formerly.

• Those who were working iron became tëgg, those who were working leather became uude,
• those who were working the wood became laobe,
• these who in charge of the oral tradition became gèwèl
• and the kings, soldiers and royal court became gèer.

The relationship between these groups was specifically based on work, and no marriage was possible between the gèer who were the nobles and the others since they were all under the service of the gèer.

Source

http://publish.illinois.edu/wolof201fall14/files/2014/08/NEW_WOLOF_BOOK.pdf

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