The Pulaar language of the Fulani people of West Africa, the world's largest nomadic
group, is now accessible through the new ADLaM Display, on
Microsoft 365 and in schools across Guinea
NEW YORK, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Brothers Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry announced today the
launch of ADLaM Display, an evolution of the Pulaar alphabet on
which they have worked with Microsoft since 2018. Developed in
partnership with McCann NY, the new digital version of ADLaM is now
available for use across the Microsoft 365 suite, desktop, and
mobile platforms, preserving a beautiful and important culture
while promoting literacy across West
Africa.
The language of the Fulani people of West Africa, known as Pulaar, is spoken by
over 40 million people, but for most of history, the language had
no alphabet. Determined to preserve their native language, in 1989
the Barry brothers created an early version of ADLaM in handwritten
form. The need remained to digitize the alphabet so it could
be used to communicate through technology, such as texts, emails
and websites, empowering the Fulani people to conduct business,
connect through social media and find information in their own
language.
The Barry brothers remarked, "ADLaM, the acronym A, D, L, M,
Alkule Dandayɗe Leñol Mulugol, literally means it is the alphabet
that will prevent the culture, the people, from disappearing."
Though the brothers had developed early versions of the digital
typeface, McCann New York partnered with the brothers and a group
of expert typeface designers to create a revised version of the
alphabet that was easier to read and write. The new typeface was
updated to include new letter forms that account for how the
alphabet has naturally evolved within the Fulani
community.
To fight illiteracy, McCann and the brothers created educational
materials for Guinean schools, including a children's book designed
to teach the ADLaM alphabet and elements of the Fulani culture,
in-classroom learning materials, and a learn-to-write book. All
materials were also digitized to be used on classroom computers.
"By the end of the century, 90 percent of the world's languages
could be extinct," said Shayne
Millington, Co-Chief Creative Officer, McCann NY. "The ADLaM
project embodies the importance of preserving and securing the
future of the world's multitude of cultures and languages, and as a
result, the memories, myths, rituals, and deep knowledge that has
been passed down over centuries."
Microsoft has now integrated the redesigned alphabet across
their global platforms. The revised version of the alphabet is now
available to download on unlocked.microsoft.com as the
ADLaM Display font and will be deployed natively across the
Microsoft 365 suite of programs, desktop and mobile in summer.
"This is just one of the many ways we at Microsoft are committed
to helping preserve cultural heritage around the world," says
Kathleen Hall, Chief Brand Officer, Microsoft.
As a result of the collective effort, ADLaM has been
successfully embraced by the Fulani and has gained popularity in
the community across West Africa
and the Fulani diaspora worldwide. The first two ADLaM-focused
schools will open during this year in Guinea and for the first time, will allow
Fulani children to study a full curriculum in their mother tongue.
Additionally, The Mali Government is in the process of recognizing
ADLaM as an official alphabet in their constitution,
and Guinea's Minister of Education has taken steps to ensure
ADLaM is recognized as Pulaar's official alphabet.
Resources
Link to website
Link to video
Link to images
About Microsoft ack
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation
for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its
mission is to empower every person and every organization on the
planet to achieve more.
About McCann Worldgroup
McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a
leading global creative solutions company. The company is united
across 100+ countries by a mission to help brands earn a meaningful
role in people's lives. McCann Worldgroup was named the
world's most creatively effective marketing services company by The
Effie Awards for 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. The core
Worldgroup network is comprised of McCann, MRM, CRAFT, and
FutureBrand, and partners with Momentum Worldwide, Weber Shandwick
and UM to deliver solutions across the entire marketing
spectrum.
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/brothers-ibrahima-and-abdoulaye-barry-in-partnership-with-microsoft-launch-the-newest-evolution-of-the-adlam-alphabet-a-language-at-risk-of-disappearing-301813610.html