Kwa languages

Last updated
Kwa
New Kwa
(proposed)
Geographic
distribution		 Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Togo
Linguistic classification Niger–Congo?
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottolog kwav1236
Niger-Congo map.png
Map showing the distribution of Niger–Congo languages. Light green is the Kwa subfamily.

The Kwa languages, often specified as New Kwa, are a proposed but as-yet-undemonstrated family of languages spoken in the south-eastern part of Ivory Coast, across southern Ghana, and in central Togo. The Kwa family belongs to the Niger-Congo phylum. The name was introduced in 1895 by Gottlob Krause and derives from the word for 'people' (Kwa) in many of these languages, as illustrated by Akan names. This branch consists of around 50 different languages spoken by about 25 million people. Some of the largest Kwa languages are Ewe, Akan and Baule.

Contents

Languages

See the box at right for a current classification.

The various clusters of languages included in Kwa are at best distantly related, and it has not been demonstrated that they are closer to each other than to neighboring Niger–Congo languages. [1]

Stewart [2] distinguished the following major branches, which historical-comparative analysis supports as valid groups:

The Lagoon languages of southern Ivory Coast are not particularly close to any of these, nor to each other, so they are left ungrouped:

An Esuma language, extinct ca. 1800, remains unclassified.

Since Stewart, Ega has been tentatively removed, the Gbe languages reassigned to Volta–Niger, and Apro added. Some of the Na-Togo and Ka-Togo languages have been placed into separate branches of Kwa. [3] See the infobox at right for the resulting branches.

Ethnologue divides the Kwa languages into two broad geographical groupings: Nyo and Left bank, but this is not a genealogical classification. The Nyo group collapses Stewart's Potou–Tano and Ga–Dangme branches and also includes the ungrouped languages of southern Ivory Coast, while the Ka/Na-Togo and Gbe languages are called Left bank because they are spoken to the east of the Volta River.

History of the proposal

The word 'Kwa' was used by Gottlob Krause in 1885 for the Akan (or perhaps Tano), Gã, and Gbe languages, which have kwa or kua as their word for 'human being'. Since then the proposal has been dramatically expanded, only to revert to something approaching its initial conception.

In 1952 Westermann and Bryan expanded Kwa to the various Lagoon languages of southern Ivory Coast and to what are now called the Volta–Niger languages of southern Nigeria. Greenberg (1963) added the Kru languages of Liberia, the Ghana–Togo Mountain languages which Westermann and Bryan had specifically excluded, and Ijaw of the Niger delta; West Kwa included the languages from Liberia to Dahomey (Republic of Benin), and East Kwa the languages of Nigeria. Bennett & Sterk (1977) proposed that the Yoruboid and Igboid languages belonged in Benue–Congo rather than in Kwa. Stewart (1989) removed Kru, Ijaw, and Volta–Niger (East Kwa), but kept the Ghana–Togo Mountain and Lagoon languages, as well as adding a few obscure, newly described languages. Stewart's classification is the basis of more recent conceptions. To disambiguate this from Greenberg's influential classification, the reduced family is sometimes called "New Kwa".

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary of Kwa and related languages from Dumestre (1971) and other sources: [4]

ClassificationLanguageeyeeartoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewater
Ghana-Togo Proto-Central Togo [5] *ki-nu-bí /bi-*ku-túe /a-*li-nía /a-; *li-lúma /a-*ki-níé-bí /bi-*ka-niána /ku-; *o- núí /i-*li-kúpá /a-*ku-wyéu /a-*n-tû
Ga–Dangme Ga [6] hiŋmɛitoi¹nyanyɔŋlilɛi²daa⁴la⁵wu⁴tso³nu⁵
Ga–Dangme Ga [7] hi-ŋmɛitoíɲaɲɔɔlíʔlɛ́ídáʔáláwútʃonu
Ga–Dangme Dangme [7] hí-ŋmɛ́túêlúŋùlílɛ́ɲâàmùɔ̀wûtʃôɲù
Potou-Tano Proto-Potou–Tano [8] *-ɲĩ*-tʊ̃*-nʊ̃*-ju
Potou-TanoProto-Akanic [8] *-ɲĩ*-sʊ̃*-nʊ̃*-cu
Potou-Tano Akan [8] ɜ-nĩa-sʊ̃a-nʊ̃n-su
Potou-TanoProto-Guang [9] *kω-sω*kɔ-nɔ̃*ŋ-kalωŋ*o-yi*ɲ-ču
Potou-Tano Baoulé [4] ɲimasuɟetaama, tãflãnwãmoɟaoɥjewaken̥zɥe
Potou-Tano Ebrié [4] m̥mɛ-ɓin̥ɟɛn̥nɔallɛm̥mɛn̥kan̥eʔweajan̥du
Potou-Tano Krobou [4] ɲɛ-bisun̥ɲɛdandren̥nɔ̃n̥krãm̥rɔɲamɛn̥zɔ
Potou-Tano Aboure [4] ɛɲɛɔwɔn̥ɲɛnãnɛɔblɔn̥nlaeboɛ̃eliben̥tʃwɛ
Potou-Tano Eotile [4] ɛjimaɔhoannaannɛãton̥nan̥tɔwuedwɔn̥su
Potou-Tano Mbatto [4] õɲɛ̃muoõdʒoɔ̃nɔ̃gõolɛẽmẽõglɔ̃õtʃɥiojokuõdu
Lagoon Adioukrou [4] ɲamalɔrunɛnanmnɛɲmeblluwl-ikŋmidʒ
Lagoon Abbey [4] aɛ̃mɔ̃rɔkɔejilɛtɛejimbum̥pjesfjetimidʒi
Lagoon Attie [4] himbɛtehɛ̃nũmɛvø̃fedzakwɛsø
Lagoon Alladian [4] ɛrɛnukun̥ɲiɛwɛ̃ɛmwãn̥krɛn̥wiɛtɛn̥ʃi
Lagoon Avikam [4] eŋwaɓaɛzjɛɓaɛɲrãazraɓaenɔ̃ɛvɛ̃ɛwuezibaɛsɔ̃
Lagoon Abidji [4] nɔnɔwɛrɛteɛɲiinenimitim̥bwoluvutʰimindi
Kru Aizi [4] zrolokɔɲɪmrɔmuɲrekrakenrɪ̃
Ega Ega [10] efí /eelowá /a-ɛnʊmà /a-eno /i-ɔ̀mààsɔ̀ìkùote /a-aɗú
Pere Pere [11] jísì-kéénɛ́ɛ́(ⁿ)ɲòŋòmùjèŋgéyúgúɲààmúkóógbèè-tííⁿtúmú
Mpra Mpra [12] anisiatenchumanchumueyiankaw; nkwõ
Dompo Dompo [13] nyisisepenyìdandulokanunklawuuyinsu
Gbe Proto-Gbe [14] *-tó*aɖú*-ɖɛ́*-ɖũ; *-ɖũkpá*-ʁʷũ*-χʷú*-tĩ́*-tsĩ

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages: [15]

ClassificationLanguage12345678910
Left Bank, Avatime-Nyangbo Avatime ólèɔ́βàɔ́tàónéót͡ʃùóɡlòɡlóelèɡɔ́tɔ́βàɡɔ́tólélíɔfɔ
Left Bank, Avatime-Nyangbo Nyangbo (1)olíɛbʰaɛtáɛlɛ́itíholoɡeneansɛʒitakɛfɔ
Left Bank, Avatime-Nyangbo Nyangbo (2)oliéɛbʰaɛtaéɛlɛetiéholōɡěneéansɛʒitaékɛfɔ
Left Bank, Avatime-Nyangbo Tafi (1)olíɛbʰaɛtáẽlɛitíholōɡénéasuɛ̄ʒitákɛfɔ̄
Left Bank, Avatime-Nyangbo Tafi (2)olíɪbʰaɪtáĩlĩ́itíholōɡénéasʊīʒitákífɔ̄
Left Bank, Gbe Éwé èɖéèvèètɔ̃ènèàtɔ̃àdẽ́adrẽ́èɲíaʃíekéèwó
Left Bank, Gbe Kotafon-Gbe ɖok͡poàwèàtɔ̃̂ènɛ̀àtɔ̃́aɲizɛ̃tsĩ́ã̀wè (litː hand+ 2)tsĩ́ã̀tɔ̃̂ (litː hand+ 3)tsĩ́ɛ̀nɛ̀ (litː hand+ 4)emewó
Left Bank, Gbe Saxwe-Gbe ɑ̀ɖé / ɖók͡póòwêɑ̀tɔ̃̂ɛ̀nɛ̃̂ɑ̀tṹɑ̀dɛ̃́ɑ̀tʃówê (5 + 2)ɑ̀tɾótɔ̃̂ (5 + 3)ɑ̀tʃɛ̃́nɛ̃̂ (5 + 5)òwō
Left Bank, Gbe Waci-Gbe (Gen-Gbe) ɖeka(e)ve(e)tɔn(e)ne(a)tɔ́n(a)dén(á)dlén(e)nyí(e)asiɖeka (10 -1) ?(e)wo
Left Bank, Gbe Western Xwla-Gbe lók͡póɔ̀wèɔ̀tɔ̃̀ɛ̀nɛ̀àtɔ̃́àtroók͡pó (5 + 1)àcówèàtsítɔ̃̀àtsíɛ̀ɔ̀síɔsí (litː hand hand)
Left Bank, Gbe Xwla-Gbe òɖě(lók͡pō)ōwèōtɔ̃̀ēnɛ̀àtɔ̃̄ɔ̃̄ātrók͡pōācíòwèàtĩ́tɔ̃̀àcíɛ̀nɛ̀ōwóé
Left Bank, Gbe, Aja Aja-Gbe (Aja) eɖé / ɖekaèvè / amɛ̃veetɔ̃̂ / amɛ̃tɔ̃enɛ̀ / amɛ̃nɛ̃atɔ̃ / amãtɔ̃adɛ̃ / amãdɛ̃adɾɛ / amãdɾɛeɲĩ / amɛ̃ɲĩɲíɖe / aʃiɖekɛ / amãʃíɖekɛ (10 -1)ewó
Left Bank, Gbe, Aja Gun-Gbe òɖè / ɖòk͡póàweàtɔnɛnɛ̀nàtɔ́nt͡ʃíɖòk͡pó (?+1)t͡ʃiánwè (?+2)t͡ʃíantɔ̀n (?+3)t͡ʃíɛ́nnɛ̀n (?+4)àwò
Left Bank, Gbe, Fon Fon-Gbe (Fon) ɖěweatɔnɛnɛatɔ́ɔ́nayizɛ́ntɛ́nwe (5 + 2)tántɔn (5 + 3)tɛ́nnɛ (5 + 5)wǒ
Left Bank, Gbe, Fon Maxi-Gbe ɖèéòwèɔ̀tɔ̃̀ɛ̀nɛ̀àtɔ̃́ayizɛ̃tɛ́ɛwè (5 + 2)tã́tɔ̃̀ (5 + 3)tɛ̃ɛ̃nɛ̀ (5 + 5)òwó
Left Bank, Gbe, Mina Gen-Gbe (Gen) èɖěèvèētɔ̃̀ēnɛ̀àtɔ̃́ɔ̃ādɛ̃́ǎdrɛ̃́ēɲíēɲíɖé (10 -1)ēwó
Left Bank, Kebu-Animere Akebu (1)ʈɛ́ìjítānìə̀ə̀tʊ̄ʊ̀kʊ̀rã̀ŋpīrìmātānɛ̀ĩ̀ŋfã̀ŋt͡ʃẽ̄ŋt͡ʃẽ̄ŋtə̀
Left Bank, Kebu-Animere Akebu (2)dɛiyitaːniətuwturaŋprimatanɛŋfant͡ʃet͡ʃeŋ (10 - 1) ?tə
Left Bank, Kebu-Animere Animere bɛɹidintʰaaɳeatʰuŋakʰuɹuŋɳotʰaɳoɳafʊɳetʰi
Left Bank, Kposo-Ahlo-Bowili Igo (Ahlon) iliìwàìtãàlã̀ùtɔuɡoùzòniùmàlàúkàliɔ̀wú
Left Bank, Kposo-Ahlo-Bowili Ikposo-uwi ɛ̀dɪɛ̀fʷàɛ̀laɛ̀naɛ̀tʊɛ̀wlʊɛ̀wlʊdɪ (6 + 1) ?ɛ̀lɛɛ̀lɛdɪ (8 + 1) ?ìd͡ʒo
Left Bank, Kposo-Ahlo-Bowili Tuwuri (Bowiri) kédìkɛ́ɛ́yákààlɛ̀kɛ́ɛ́nákùùlókévũ̀kɛ́kɔ̀nɔ̀kɛ̀ɛ̀lɛ̃̀kàvèdí (10 - 1) ?kùwà
Nyo, Agneby Abé (Abbey) ŋ̀k͡pɔ̄āɲʊ̃́āɾíàlɛ́ōnílɔ̀hɔ̃̀lɔ̀hʍ̃ã̄ɾíèpʲèɲāàkóǹnɛ̀
Nyo, Agneby Abidji ń̩nɔ̀áānʊ̄ɛ̃́ɛ̃̄tɪ̄ã́ã̄lāéēnēnáhʊ̃̀ã̀nɔ̃́ᵐbʊ̀nówònɛ̃́ᵐbrɛ̀ń̩díɔ̀
Nyo, Agneby Adioukrou ɲâmɲóɲɲâhǹjârjênnɔ̂hǹlɔ́bŋ̀níwǹlíbárm̀lɛ̂w
Nyo, Attie Attié èkkɛ́mwʌ̃́kɛ́hã́kɛ́dʒíkɛ̋bʌ̃́kɛ̋mũ̄n̩sőmɔ̃̀kɥɛ́ŋ̩ɡʷãkɛ̃̋ŋ
Nyo, Attie Ga ékòmééɲɔ̀étɛ̃éɟwɛ̀énùmɔ̃ék͡pàak͡pàwo (6 + 1) ?k͡pàaɲɔ̃ (6 + 2) ?nɛ̀ɛhṹɲɔ̀ŋmá
Nyo, Ga-Dangme Dangme kákēéɲɔ̃̀étɛ̃̄éywɛ̀ / éwìɛ̀énũ̄ɔ̃̄ék͡pàk͡pààɡō (6 + 1) ?k͡pàaɲɔ̃̄ (6 + 2) ?nɛ̃̀ɛ̃́ɲɔ̃̀ŋ͡mã́ (plural formː ɲĩ̀ŋ͡mĩ́)
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Basila-Adele Adele ɛ̀kíɛ̀nyɔ̀ɔ̀nàsìɛ̀nààtònkòòrònkɔ̀rɔ̀nkí (6 + 1) ?nìyɛ̀yɛ̀kí (10 - 1) ?fò
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Basila-Adele Anii dɨ̄ŋ, ɡādɨ̄ŋ, ɡīdɨ̄ŋ, ɡūdɨ̄ŋīɲīʊ̄, bʊ̄ɲīʊ̄, bāɲīʊ̄,īrīū, īrīū, īrīūīnāŋ, īnāŋ, īnāŋīnʊ̄ŋ, īnʊ̄ŋ, īnʊ̄ŋīkōlōŋ, īkōlōŋ, īkōlōŋkūlūmīɡánáánátʃīīnītɘ̄b
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Lelemi, Lelemi-Akpafu Lelemi ùnwìíɲɔ́ɛ̀tɛ̀ínɛ́ɛ̀lɔ́ɛ̀kúmáátɛ̀ (4 + 3) ?máánɛ́ (4 + 4) ?lɛ́yàlìnwì (10 - 1) ?lèèvù
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Lelemi, Lelemi-Akpafu Siwu (Akpafu) ɔ̀wɛ̃̂íɲɔ̂ìtɛ́ínâírùíkùɔ̀ìkɔ́dzɛ̂ (4 + 3) ?fàráfánà (4 + 4) ?káiwɛ̃̂ (10 - 1) ?ìwéó
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Lelemi, Likpe-Santrokofi Sekpele (1)nʊ̀ɛ́ (lɛ̀wɛ́)núə̀ǹtsyə́ńnàǹnɔ́ǹkùákùánsèyènínàsélèfòsì
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Lelemi, Likpe-Santrokofi Sekpele (2)nùɛ́núə̀ǹtsyə́ǹnáǹnɔ́ǹkúakúansèyènínàsélèfósì
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Lelemi, Likpe-Santrokofi Selee (Santrokofi) ònwíìɔ̀ɲɔ́òtìɛ́ɔ́nàɔ̀nɔ́ɔ̀òkúɔ́kùɛ́nsĩ́ɔ̀nɛ́nàásĩ́lèfósì
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Logba Logba (1)ik͡pɛinyɔitainainúiɡlóɡlaŋk͡pemlamináɡɔkwaɖuuɖú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Logba Logba (2)ik͡pɛiɲɔitainainúiɡlóɡlaŋk͡pemlamináɡɔkwaɖuuɖú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Akan Bono Twi baakó̃mienumiensánainnumnsiãnsɔŋɔt͡ʃwieŋkrɔŋdu
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Akan Akan (Akuapem Twi) (1)baakó~ə̀bìéńə̀bìèsá~ànáńə̀núḿə̀sìá~ə̀sɔ́ńàwòtɕɥé /tw/àkróńdú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Akan Akan (2)baakó̃mmienúmmeɛnsã́(ɛ)náń(e)núḿ(e)nsĩã́(ɛ)nsóńnwɔtwé(ɛ)nkróń(e)dú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Bia, Northern Anufo kũɲ̀ɲɔ̀ǹzã̀ǹnáǹnúǹʒɛ̃́ǹzômɔ̀cᵘɛ́ŋ̀ɡɔ̀nábúɾú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Bia, Northern Anyin ɛ̀kʊ̃ (in counting)/ kʊ̃ (after a noun)ɲɲṹãnsɑ̃nnɑ̃́nnṹnsĩ́ã́nsʊ̂mɔcuɛ́ŋɡʊ̃ɑ̃lɑ̃́búlú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Bia, Northern Baule (Baoulé) kùnǹɲɔ̀nǹsànǹnánǹnúnǹsiɛ́nǹsôǹmɔ̀cuɛ́ǹɡwlànblú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Bia, Northern Sehwi kʊ̃̀ɲɔ̀ǹzã̀ǹnáǹnúǹziã́ǹzɔ́ːmɔ̀tʃwɛ́ǹɡɔ̃̀lã̀bʊ́lʊ́
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Bia, Southern Ahanta ɔ̀kʊ́nàɥɪ̀nàsànànlàə̀nlùə̀ʃiə̀ə̀súŋwààwɔ̀twɛ̀àhɔ́nlàbùnlù
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Bia, Southern Nzema ɛ̀kʊ̃ (in counting)/ kʊ̃ (after a noun)ɲ́ɲʊ̃ (tone reversals after nouns)ńsɑ̃ńnɑ̃ńnṹńsĩ́ãńsṹũmɔ́cʊɛŋɡʊ̃lɑ̃́bulú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Central, Bia, Southern Jwira-Pepesa końwiańsańnańnuńsiãńsuwmɔ́twɛnɡhoaláeburú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Chumburung kɔ́ɪ̀ɲɔ́ɪ̀sáɪ̀náɪ̀núːìsíyéìsúnóːìbùrùwáɪ̀kpánɔ́ːkúdú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Dwang (Bekye) kɔ́ɔ́aɲóasáanáanúasíéasʊ́nɔat͡ʃwéak͡pɔ́nɔídú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Foodo ǹkɔ́ /ɔkʊlamǹɲʸɔ́ǹsáǹnáàŋǹnṹũ̀ / ǹnúŋǹséèǹsínōdùkwéè / dùkoiǹk͡pánɔ̀dúdu
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Ginyanga okouiɡnoissainainounissisonoɡuikoesonʔouɡuidou
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Gonja à-kôà-ɲɔ́à-sáà-náà-núà-ʃéà-ʃúnùà-bùrùwáà-k͡pánàkùdú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Kplang (Prang) kɔ̃ / ɛkʊ́nkɔ́áɲɔasaanáɛnʊ́eséɛsʊ́nʊ́ɛkwéapʊ́nɔ́ídú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Krache (Kaakyi) kɔ́ɔ́aɲɔ́asáanáɛnʊ̂ɛsíɛ́asʊ́nɔ́kukwéak͡pʊ́nɔ́kúdú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Nawuri kʊ́ːʔaɲɔ́asáanáanûasíjéasúnɔ̂abᵘɾuwáakpʌ́nɔ̂ɡúdú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, North Guang Nkonya ɛ̀-kʊ̃̀ (ɔ̀-kʊ̀ Northern Dialect) / ɪ̀-kʊ̀lɛ̀à-ɲɔ̀à-sàà-nàà-nùà-sìèà-sìènɔ́ɪ̀-kʷèɪ̀-kʷèbáɪ̀-dú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, South Guang Awutu (Awutu-Efutu) kòméìɲɔ́èsã́ènaː́ ̀ènúìsɛ̃́ː ̀ìsɔ̃́itʃwéɛ̀pánìdù
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, South Guang Cherepon àkʊ́ìɲɔ́ìsã́ìnɛ̂ìnîìsíɛ̃̀ìsúnɔ̋ìtwîìk͡púnɔ̋ìdû
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, South Guang Gua ákònyɔ́sã́nɛ̃̀nĩ́sĩ̀ɛ̀sùnɔ̃́twík͡plɔ̃́ìdú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, South Guang Larteh (1)kɔ́ɲyɔ́sánɛ́núsíɛ̀súnɔ́tɕɥík͡pʋ́nɔ́dú
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Guang, South Guang Larteh (2)kõɲɔ̃sãnɛ̃nũsĩɛ̃sũnɔ̃cuik͡plɔ̃du
Nyo, Potou-Tano, Tano, Western Abouré (Abure) okuèaɲùnɳànnànnnúncɪɛ̀ncʋ̀nmɔ̀kʋ̀ɛ́puálɛ́hʋ̀nóblún

See also

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Niger–Congo is a hypothetical language family spoken over the majority of sub-Saharan Africa. It unites the Mande languages, the Atlantic–Congo languages, and possibly several smaller groups of languages that are difficult to classify. If valid, Niger–Congo would be the world's largest in terms of member languages, the third-largest in terms of speakers, and Africa's largest in terms of geographical area. Austronesian has almost as many member languages, although this is complicated by the ambiguity about what constitutes a distinct language; the number of named Niger–Congo languages listed by Ethnologue is 1,540.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senufo languages</span> Language family of West Africa

The Senufo or Senufic languages comprise around 15 languages spoken by the Senufo in the north of Ivory Coast, the south of Mali and the southwest of Burkina Faso. An isolated language, Nafaanra, is also spoken in the west of Ghana. The Senufo languages constitute their own branch of the Atlantic–Congo sub-family of the Niger–Congo languages. Anne Garber estimates the total number of Senufos at some 1.5 million; the Ethnologue, based on various population estimates, counts 2.7 million.

The Central Tano or Akan languages are languages of the Niger-Congo family spoken in Ghana and Ivory Coast by the Akan people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ewe language</span> Language of Ghana, Togo, and Benin

Ewe is a language spoken by approximately 5 million people in West Africa, mainly in Ghana and Togo. Ewe is part of a group of related languages commonly called the Gbe languages. The other major Gbe language is Fon, which is mainly spoken in Benin. Like many African languages, Ewe is tonal as well as a possible member of the Niger-Congo family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benue–Congo languages</span> Major subdivision of the Niger–Congo language family

Benue–Congo is a major branch of the Volta-Congo languages which covers most of Sub-Saharan Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gbe languages</span> Niger–Congo language cluster

The Gbe languages form a cluster of about twenty related languages stretching across the area between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria. The total number of speakers of Gbe languages is between four and eight million. The most widely spoken Gbe language is Ewe, followed by Fon. The Gbe languages were traditionally placed in the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo languages, but more recently have been classified as Volta–Niger languages. They include five major dialect clusters: Ewe, Fon, Aja, Gen (Mina), and Phla–Pherá.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nafanan language</span> Senufo language of Ghana and Ivory Coast

Nafaanra, also known as Nafanan or Nafana, is a Senufo language spoken in northwest Ghana, along the border with Ivory Coast, east of Bondoukou. It is spoken by approximately 90,000 people. Its speakers call themselves Nafana, but others call them Banda or Mfantera. Like other Senufo languages, Nafaanra is a tonal language. It is somewhat of an outlier in the Senufo language group, with the geographically-closest relatives, the Southern Senufo Tagwana–Djimini languages, approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) to the west, on the other side of Comoé National Park.

The Dangme language, also Adangme, Dangbe or Adaŋgbi, is a Kwa language spoken in south-eastern Ghana by the Dangme people (Dangmeli). They are part of the larger Ga-Dangme ethnic group. Klogbi is a variant, spoken by the Kloli. Kropp Dakubu (1987) is the most thorough grammar of the language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volta–Congo languages</span> Major branch of the Atlantic–Congo languages

Volta–Congo is a major branch of the Atlantic–Congo family. It includes all the Niger-Congo languages and subfamilies except the families of the erstwhile Atlantic and Kordofanian branches, Mande, Dogon, and Ijo. It thus only differs from Atlantic–Congo in that it excludes the Atlantic languages and, in some conceptions, Kru and Senufo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic–Congo languages</span> Major division of the Niger–Congo language family

The Atlantic–Congo languages make up the largest demonstrated family of languages in Africa. They have characteristic noun class systems and form the core of the Niger–Congo family hypothesis. They comprise all of Niger–Congo apart from Mande, Dogon, Ijoid, Siamou, Kru, the Katla and Rashad languages, and perhaps some or all of the Ubangian languages. Hans Gunther Mukanovsky's "Western Nigritic" corresponded roughly to modern Atlantic–Congo.

Logba is a Kwa language spoken in the south-eastern Ghana by approximately 7,500 people. The Logba people call themselves and their language Ikpana, which means ‘defenders of truth’. Logba is different from Lukpa of Togo and Benin, which is also sometimes referred to as Logba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ewe people</span> West African ethnic group

The Ewe people are a Gbe-speaking ethnic group. The largest population of Ewe people is in Ghana, and the second largest population is in Togo. They speak the Ewe language which belongs to the Gbe family of languages. They are related to other speakers of Gbe languages such as the Fon, Gen, Phla/Phera, Ogu/Gun, Maxi (Mahi), and the Aja people of Togo and Benin.

The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga or Gan and Dangbe or Dangme people are grouped as part of the Ga–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. The Ga-Dangmes are one ethnic group that lives primarily in the Greater Accra region of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghana–Togo Mountain languages</span> Kwa language group of West Africa

The Ghana–Togo Mountain languages, formerly called Togorestsprachen and Central Togo languages, form a grouping of about fourteen languages spoken in the mountains of the Ghana–Togo borderland. They are part of the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Ghana</span>

Ghana is a multilingual country in which about eighty languages are spoken. Of these, English, which was inherited from the colonial era, is the official language and lingua franca. Of the languages indigenous to Ghana, Akan is the most widely spoken in the south. Dagbani, Dagare, Sisaala, Waale, and Gonja are among the most widely spoken in the northern part of the country.

Siwu is a language that is spoken in the mountainous central part of the Volta Region of Ghana. It belongs to the geographic group of Ghana Togo Mountain languages of the Kwa branch of Niger–Congo. The speakers of Siwu call themselves the Mawu and their land Kawu. Some of the speakers of Siwu lives around Lolobi communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volta–Niger languages</span> Hypothetical major branch of the Volta-Congo languages

The Volta–Niger family of languages, also known as West Benue–Congo or East Kwa, is one of the branches of the Niger–Congo language family, with perhaps 70 million speakers. Among these are the most important languages of southern Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and southeast Ghana: Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, and Gbe.

The Potou–Tano or Potou–Akanic languages are the only large, well-established branch of the Kwa family. They have been partially reconstructed historically by Stewart in 1989 and 2002.

Ega, also known as Egwa and Diès, is a West African language spoken in south-central Ivory Coast. It appears to be a Kwa language of uncertain affiliation.

The Eastern Mande languages are a branch of the Mande languages spoken in seven areas: northwest Burkina Faso, the border region of northern Benin and Nigeria, and one language, Bissa, also spoken in Ghana, Togo, and Ivory Coast and the Samo languages also spoken in Mali.

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ MEK Dakubu (2005). "Kwa Languages". In Keith Brown (ed.). Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (2 ed.). Elsevier. ISBN   0-08-044299-4.:
    "except at the lower levels of classification such as the Tano, Potou–Tano, and Ewe-Fon (Gbe) groups, genetic relationships among these languages are quite distant. It has never been adequately demonstrated using the comparative method that Akan, Ga, Ewe, and the Togo Mountain languages are more closely related to one another than to any other languages."
  2. ↑ 1989, slightly revised in Blench & Williamson 2000:29
  3. ↑ Williamson & Blench 2000:29
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Dumestre, Gérard. 1971. Atlas linguistique de Côte-d'Ivoire: les langues de la région lagunaire. Abidjan: Institut de Linguistique Appliquée (ILA).
  5. ↑ Heine, Bernd. 1968. Die Verbreitung und Gliedering der Togorestsprachen (Kölner Beiträge zur Afrikanistik vol. 1). Köln: Druckerei Wienand.
  6. ↑ Kropp Dakubu, Mary Esther. 1999. Ga-English dictionary. Legon: Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.
  7. 1 2 Kropp, Mary Esther. 1966. Ga, Adangme and Ewe (Lomé) with English Gloss. (Comparative African Wordlists, 2.) Legon: Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.
  8. 1 2 3 Stewart, John M. 2004. The Proto-Potou-Akanic-Bantu reconstructions updated. Manuscript.
  9. ↑ Snider, Keith L. 1990. The consonants of proto-Guang. Journal of West African languages 20(1), 3-26.
  10. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2004. The Ega Language of Côte d'Ivoire: Etymologies and Implications for Classification.
  11. ↑ Heath, Jeffrey. 2019. Pere lexicon [Data set]. Zenodo. doi : 10.5281/zenodo.3354193
  12. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2007. Recovering data on Mpra [=Mpre] a possible language isolate in North-Central Ghana .
  13. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2015. The Dompo language of Central Ghana and its affinities .
  14. ↑ Capo, Hounkpati B.C. 1991. A Comparative Phonology of Gbe. Publications in African Languages and Linguistics, 14. Berlin/New York: Foris Publications & Garome, Bénin: Labo Gbe (Int).
  15. ↑ Chan, Eugene (2019). "The Niger-Congo Language Phylum". Numeral Systems of the World's Languages.

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