- Gonja language
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Gonja Spoken in Ghana Region Northern Ghana Ethnicity Gonja people Native speakers 230,000 (2004) Language family Niger–Congo- Atlantic–Congo
- Kwa
- Potou–Tano
- Tano
- Guang
- Gonja
- Guang
- Tano
- Potou–Tano
- Kwa
Language codes ISO 639-3 gjn The Gonja language is a Kwa language spoken by an estimated 230,000 people, almost all of whom are of the Gonja ethnic group of northern Ghana. Related to Guang languages in the south of Ghana, it is spoken by about a third of the population in the northern region. The Brong-Ahafo and Volta regions lie to the south of the Gonja-speaking area, while Dagombas, Mamprussis and Walas are to the north.[1][2] Its dialects are Gonja and Choruba.
Character
Vowels used are: a,e,i,o,ɔ,u,ɛ. Consonants include: ch [tʃ], ŋm, ny, gb, kp, sh [ʃ]. Personal pronouns as subject of the sentence: ma (I); fo (you, singular); e, mu (he, she); anye (we); fo, minye (you, plural); bumu, baa (they). A few key words are sufficient to show that the language is totally different from Akan on one hand, and Dagomba on the other: china (to sit); kpa (to throw); kachɛ (day); kufol (month); ebi (son); kuso (ear); enɔ (hand); dɔktɛ ("linguist", interpreter) [3]
External links
References
Categories: - Atlantic–Congo
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