a family of languages of the Fulani people of West Africa and used as a lingua franca in the sub-Saharan regions from Senegal to Chad; the best known of the West African languages
(pronounced "fool") is the name for the small-seeded fava bean, the basic culinary bean of Egypt It is the key ingredient in ful medames (also fool mudammas, ful mudammas, fuul medammis, etc ), a traditional bean stew served for breakfast The beans are slow-cooked until tender, mashed and then mixed with olive oil and seasonings, typically lemon juice or cumin