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Volta–Niger 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 Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...: Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, and Gbe. These languages have variously been placed within the Kwa or Benue–Congo families or, starting in the 1970s, combined with them altogether. Williamson & Blench (2000) separate the languages here called Volta-Niger from the others. Güldemann (2018) fails to see clear criteria for dividing the languages into two or three families and maintains the broad grouping and name of Benue-Kwa for all them. Branches The constitu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Mande Languages
The Eastern Mande languages (called Eastern Eastern Mande by Kastenholz, and Niger–Volta by SchreiberSchreiber, Henning. 2008. ''Eine historische Phonologie der Niger-Volta-Sprachen: Ein Beitrag zur Erforschung der Sprachgeschichte der östlichen Ost-Mandesprachen'' (Mande Languages and Linguistics 7). Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. and also known as the Bisa–Busa 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 Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b .... Member languages * Bissa, spoken in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, and Ivory Coast * Boko of Benin and Nigeria * Busa of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kwa Languages
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. 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. Stewart distinguished the following major branches, which historical-comparative analysis supports as valid groups: * Potou–Tano (including Akan) * Ga–Dangme * Na-Togo * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Esan Language
Esan is a language in Nigeria. Dictionaries and grammar texts of the Esan language are being produced. There are many dialect, including Ogwa, Ẹkpoma (Ekuma), Ebhossa (okhuesan) (Ewossa), Ewohimi, Ewu, Ewatto, Ebelle, Igueben, Irrua, Ohordua, Uromi, Uzea, Ubiaja and Ugboha. Dialects List of Esan dialects as classified by Osiruemu (2010):Osiruemu, Evarista. 2010. ''A structural dialectology of Esan''. Doctoral dissertation, University of Ibadan. Usage People from Uromi, Irrua and Ewu speak slightly different Esan dialect compared to people from Uzea, even though there is documentation that Uromi people and the Uzea people have common ancestry. Such variations in tongue and spelling of words are common in the Esan language. Most annual Esan Kings' Council meetings are largely conducted in English for this reason. However, the Esan language has been described as regionally important. It is taught in schools throughout Esanland, and Esan language radio and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isoko Language
Isoko is one of the languages in Delta State spoken by the Isoko people in Isoko South, North and part of Ndokwa East Local Government Areas of Delta State, Southern part of Nigeria in Niger Delta region. It is also spoken in some part of Bayelsa. Isoko is an Edoid language The Isoko people are a tribe with some of their ancestral roots traced through history to the Benin (Aka) kingdom while some of the Isoko communities or clans have their origins from the Igbo and Urhobo. Some 750,000 people consider themselves Isoko. Language is a mark of identity and plays an all-important role in the life of a people. The Isoko language however, is being threatened with extinction as reported by Idudhe (2002), as a result of neglect in teaching, learning and use. The Isoko language has about 20 to 21 dialects, but the Aviara/Uzere dialect is the standard dialect of the language. Michael A. Marioghae, working with Peter Ladefoged in 1962, made one of a few audio recordings of samp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urhobo Language
Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid language spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. It is from the Delta State, Delta and Bayelsa State, Bayelsa States. Phonology Urhobo has a rather reduced system of phonology, sound inventory compared to proto-Edoid. The inventory of Urhobo consists of seven vowels; which form two harmonic sets, and . It has a conservative consonant inventory for an Edoid languages, Edoid language. It maintains three nasals, and only five oral consonants, , have nasal allophones before nasal vowels. * is interchangeable with only before nasal vowels. * can be heard as before non-front vowels. * Nasal consonants can have allophones of nasalized approximants as , , , . * Approximants are heard as nasalized approximants before and after nasal vowels. * Velar fricatives can vary from being heard as to lowered fricatives and approximants . can also be heard as a palatal fricative before . * Rhotics may have different realizations as alveolar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edoid Languages
The Edoid languages are a few dozen languages spoken in southern Nigeria. Edoid-speaking Ethnicity, ethnic groups are predominantly located in the States of Edo State, Edo and Delta State, Delta however, smaller Edoid-speaking communities are also present in the states of Ondo State, Ondo, Bayelsa State, Bayelsa, and Rivers State, Rivers. The term "Edoid" for the language group derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo language, Edo, which is natively spoken in Edo South senatorial district, Southern Edo. Edoid languages collectively have approximately 10 million primary and secondary speakers. Classification Elugbe (1989) The following classification is based on that of Elugbe (1989). * Edoid ** Delta: Degema language, Degema, Epie language, Epie, Engenni language, Ẹgẹnẹ (Engenni) ** North-Central *** Edo: Edo language, Edo (Bini), Ivbiosakon language, Ivbiosakon (Ora, Emai, Iuleha), Esan language, Esan (Ishan) *** Yekhee: Ghotuo language, Ghotuo, Yekhee language, Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Itsekiri Language
The Itsekiri language is a major branch of the Yoruboid group of languages, which as a group, is a key member of the Volta–Niger sub-family of the Niger–Congo family of African languages. Itsekiri is spoken by nearly 1,000,000 people in Nigeria as a first language and by many others as an additional language notably in the Niger Delta and in parts of Edo and Ondo states of Nigeria. The other key members of the Yoruboid group are Yoruba (55 million) and Igala (1.8 million) along with the various Yoruba dialects spoken in Benin and Togo. Classification Itsekiri is most closely related to the Yoruba dialects of south western Nigeria with which it shares close similarity in grammar, lexicon and syntax. Itsekiri represents one end of a continuum of Yoruba dialects from the northern Yoruba lands of Oyo and Offa to the western reaches of the Niger-Delta. In many ways standard Yoruba and Itsekiri may be considered official variants of the same language. Although Itsekiri and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ede Language
Ede is a dialect continuum of Benin and Togo that is closely related to the Yoruba language Yoruba (, ; Yor. ) is a Niger–Congo languages, Niger-Congo language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern and Middle Belt, Central Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo. It is spoken by the Yoruba people. .... The best-known variety is Ife. Kluge (2011) includes Yoruba within Ede. The Ede dialects include Ede Cabe (Caabe, Shabè), Ede Ica (Itcha, Isha), Ede Idaca (Idaaca, Idaatcha), Ede Ije, Ede Nago (Nagot), Ede Kura Nago, Ede Manigri (Kambolé), and Ede Ife. References Yoruboid languages Languages of Togo Languages of Benin {{VoltaNiger-lang-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Igala Language
Igala or IGALA may refer to: * IGALA, the International Gender and Language Association, an interdisciplinary academic organization * Igala Kingdom, a pre-colonial West African state * Igala language, a Volta–Niger language * Igala people, an ethnic group in Nigeria * Igala Union, a former political party in Nigeria * Volkswagen Igala, a compact car marketed in Nigeria, 1976–1980 {{disambiguation Language and nationality disambiguation pages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoruboid Languages
Yoruboid is a language family composed of the Igala language, Igala group of dialects spoken in south central Nigeria, and the Edekiri languages subdivided into the Ede language, Ede group (which includes Yoruba) spoken in a band across Togo, Ghana, Benin and southern Nigeria, and the Itsekiri language, Itsekiri group of the Warri Kingdom in the northwestern Niger-Delta. Name The name ''Yoruboid'' derived from its most widely spoken member, Yoruba language, Yoruba, which has around 55 million primary and secondary speakers. Another well-known Yoruboid language is Itsekiri language, Itsekiri (about 1,000,000 speakers). The Yoruboid group is a branch of Defoid languages, Defoid, which also includes the Arigidi, Akoko and Ayere–Ahan languages, Ayere-Ahan languages. The term ''Defoid'' itself is a derivative combination using the elements ''ede'' (meaning 'language' in most lects within the grouping), "Ife", a city of profound cultural significance to speakers of the diverse lects, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phla–Pherá Languages
The Phla–Pherá (''Xwla–Xwela'') languages form a possible group of Gbe languages spoken mainly in southeastern and southwestern Benin; some communities are found in southeastern Togo and southwestern Nigeria. The group, comprising about ten varieties, was introduced by H.B. Capo in his 1988 classification of Gbe languages as one of the five main branches of Gbe. Additional research carried out by SIL International in the nineties corroborated many of Capo's findings and led to adjustment of some of his more tentative groupings; in particular, Phla–Pherá was divided in an eastern and a western cluster. Phla–Pherá is one of the smaller Gbe branches in terms of number of speakers. It is also the most linguistically diverse branch of Gbe, due partly to the existence of several geographically separated communities, but mainly because of considerable influence by several non-Gbe languages in the past. Some of the Phla–Pherá peoples are thought to be the original inhabitant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aja Language (Niger-Congo)
The Aja language is a Gbe language spoken by the Aja people of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria and Gabon. In Gabon, they are mostly migrants. it is closely related to other Gbe languages The Gbe languages (pronounced ) 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 widel ... such as Ewe, Mina, Fon, and Phla Phera. Adja is the mother tribe from which the other Gbe people are descended. Phonology Consonants * Voiced consonants /, , / are heard as nasal sonorant sounds , when followed by a nasal vowel. * // is heard as a rhotic trill [] when after alveolar, retroflex or post-alveolar consonants. * Sounds // and // are heard as post-alveolar [], [] when preceding //. * Approximant sounds /, / may also be nasalized as [, ] when preceding or following nasal vowels. * Some linguists have also attested the nasal so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
