Languages wey dey Ghana
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Ghana be multilingual country wey get like eighty languages dem dey talk.[1] Of these, English, wey we inherit from de colonial era, be de official language and lingua franca.[2][3] Of de languages indigenous to Ghana, Akan be de most widely spoken for de south insyd.[4] Dem dey speak Dagbani mostly for de north.
Ghana get more dan seventy ethnic groups, each plus ein own distinct language.[5] Languages wey dey belong to de same ethnic group be usually mutually intelligible. De Dagbanli, Nanumba den Mamprusi languages for Northern Region, be almost de same den, be mutually intelligible plus de Frafra den Waali languages for de Upper East den Upper West Regions for Ghana.[6] More dan 20% of de population dey speak de Mole-Dagbani languages.
Eleven languages get de status of government-sponsored languages: three Akan ethnic languages (Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi den Fante) den two Mole-Dagbani ethnic languages (Dagaare den Dagbanli). De odas be Ewe, Dangme, Ga, Nzema, Gonja, den Kasem.[7]
For April 2019 insyd, de Ghanaian government declare ein intention make e make French one of Ghana ein official languages secof Francophone countries (Burkina Faso, de Ivory Coast den Togo) surround de country wey de presence of French speaking minority for de country insyd.[8][9]
Government-sponsored languages[edit | edit source]
De number of government-sponsored languages be either eleven anaa nine, dey depend for weda dem consider Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, den Fante single language anaa not.[7] De Bureau of Ghana Languages dey support dem, wey dem establish for 1951 insyd wey edey publish materials for de languages insyd; during de periods wen dem use Ghanaian languages for primary education insyd, na dis be de languages wey dem dey use. All dis languages dey belong to de Niger–Congo language family, though to chaw different branches.
Akan (Fante, Asante Twi den Akuapem Twi)[edit | edit source]
Akan, part of de Kwa branch of de Niger–Congo family, be dialect continuum,[10] but plus regard to official status, dem dey recognise only few out of de chaw varieties of Akan: Fante, Asante Twi, Akuapem Twi. Dem take as whole, Akan be de most-widely spoken language for Ghana insyd.[4]
Ewe[edit | edit source]
Ewe be Gbe language, part of de Volta–Niger branch for de Niger–Congo family. Dem dey speak de Ewe Language for Ghana, Togo den Benin insyd plus trace of de language for West Nigeria insyd.[11] Out of de chaw dialects of Ewe dem dey speak for Ghana insyd, de major ones be Anlo, Tongu, Vedome, Gbi, den Krepi.
Dagbani[edit | edit source]
Dagbani be one of de Gur languages. Ebe de language dem mostly dey speak for Northern Ghana insyd. De number of native speakers numbers be more dan three million. Dis number go reach six million if dem add dialects such as Nanumba, Mamprusi den Kamara. Edey belong to de bolla Mole-Dagbani ethnic group dem find for Ghana insyd wey dey make up about 18.5% of de population.[12] Dagombas wey dey speak am for de Northern Region for Ghana insyd.
Dangme[edit | edit source]
Dangme be one of de Ga–Dangme languages wey dey de Kwa branch insyd. Dem dey speak am for Greater Accra insyd, south-east Ghana den Togo insyd.
Dagaare[edit | edit source]
Dagaare be anoda of de Gur languages. Dem dey speak am for de Upper West Region for Ghana insyd. Dem sanso dey speak am for Burkina Faso insyd.
Ga[edit | edit source]
Ga be de oda Ga–Dangme language wey dey de Kwa branch insyd. Dem dey speak Ga for south-eastern Ghana insyd, for den around de capital Accra insyd.
Nzema[edit | edit source]
Nzema be one of de Bia languages, closely dem relate to Akan. De Nzema people for de Western Region for Ghana insyd wey dey speak am. Dem sanso dey speak am de Ivory Coast insyd.
Kasem[edit | edit source]
Kasem be Gurunsi language, for de Gur branch insyd. Dem dey speak am for de Upper Eastern Region for Ghana insyd. Dem sanso dey speak am for Burkina Faso insyd.
Gonja[edit | edit source]
Gonja be one of de Guang languages, part of de Tano languages wey dey de Kwa branch along plus Akan den Bia. Dem dey speak am for Northern Region for Ghana den Wa insyd.
Languages dem dey speak for Ghana insyd by number of speakers[edit | edit source]
Dis chart dey reflect data Ethnologue provide.[13]
| Rank | Language | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 9,800,001 |
| 2 | Akan (Fante/Twi) | 9,100,000 |
| 3 | Ghanaian Pidgin English | 5,000,000 |
| 4 | Ewe Dialects of Ɛve wey dey include Aŋlo, Tɔŋu, Vɛdomɛ,Gbi, Krepi, among odas) | 3,820,000 |
| 5 | Abron | 1,170,000 |
| 6 | Dagbani (dey include Mamprusi, den Nanumba dialects) | 6,160,000 |
| 7 | Dangme | 1,020,000 |
| 8 | Dagaare | 924,000 |
| 9 | Konkomba | 831,000 |
| 10 | Ga | 745,000 |
| 11 | Kusaal | 696,000 |
| 12 | Farefare | 638,000 |
| 13 | Mampruli | 414,000 |
| 14 | Gonja | 310,000 |
| 15 | Sehwi | 305,000 |
| 16 | Nzema | 299,000 |
| 17 | Wasa | 273,000 |
| 18 | Sisaala, Tumulung | 219,000 |
| 19 | Sisaala, Western | 219,000 |
| 20 | Bimoba | 176,000 |
| 21 | Ahanta | 175,000 |
| 22 | Ntcham | 169,000 |
| 23 | Buli | 168,000 |
| 24 | Bisa | 166,000 |
| 25 | Kasem | 149,000 |
| 26 | Tem | 134,000 |
| 27 | Cherepon | 132,000 |
| 28 | Birifor, Southern | 125,000 |
| 29 | Anufo | 91,300 |
| 30 | Wali | 84,800 |
| 31 | Larteh | 74,000 |
| 32 | Siwu | 71,900 |
| 33 | Chumburung | 69,000 |
| 34 | Anyin | 66,400 |
| 35 | Nafaanra | 61,000 |
| 36 | Krache | 58,000 |
| 37 | Lelemi | 48,900 |
| 38 | Deg | 42,900 |
| 39 | Paasaal | 36,000 |
| 40 | Kabre, (language kabre) | 35,642 |
| 41 | Avatime | 27,200 |
| 42 | Kulango, Bondoukou | 27,000 |
| 43 | Sekpele | 23,000 |
| 44 | Delo | 18,400 |
| 45 | Jwira-Pepesa | 18,000 |
| 46 | Gua | 17,600 |
| 47 | Tampulma | 16,000 |
| 48 | Kulango, Bouna | 15,500 |
| 49 | Ligbi | 15,000 |
| 50 | Nawuri | 14,000 |
| 51 | Vagla | 13,900 |
| 52 | Tuwuli | 11,400 |
| 53 | Selee | 11,300 |
| 54 | Adele | 11,000 |
| 55 | Nkonya | 11,000 |
| 56 | Gikyode | 10,400 |
| 57 | Dwang | 8,200 |
| 58 | Akposo | 7,500 |
| 59 | Logba | 7,500 |
| 60 | Nkami | 7,000 |
| 61 | Hanga | 6,800 |
| 62 | Nyangbo | 6,400 |
| 63 | Chakali | 6,000 |
| 64 | Ghanaian Sign Language | 6,000 |
| 65 | Safaliba | 5,000 |
| 66 | Tafi | 4,400 |
| 67 | Fulfulde, Maasina | 4,240 |
| 68 | Adangbe/Dangbe | 4,000 |
| 69 | Konni | 3,800 |
| 70 | Adamorobe Sigh Language | 3,500 |
| 71 | Chala | 3,000 |
| 72 | Kamara | 3,000 |
| 73 | Kantosi | 2,300 |
| 74 | Kusuntu | 2,100 |
| 75 | Nchumbulu | 1,800 |
| 76 | Kplang | 1,600 |
| 77 | Dompo | 970 |
| 78 | Animere | 700 |
| 79 | French | Unclear |
| 80 | Hausa | Unclear |
| 81 | Lama | Unclear |
| 82 | Nawdm | Unclear |
Language classification[edit | edit source]
De language of Ghana dey belong to de following branches wey dey de Niger–Congo language family insyd:
- Kwa languages (Akan, Bia, Guang for Tano insyd; Ga den Adangme)
- Gbe languages (Ewe)
- Gur languages (Gurunsi, Dagbani, Mossi, Dagaare, den Frafra for Oti–Volta insyd)
- Senufo languages (Nafaanra)
- Kulango languages
- Mande languages (Wangara, Ligbi)
Older classifications fi instead group dem as Kwa, Gur, den Mande.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ http://www.ethnologue.com/country/GH
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20170301155437/https://www.ghanaembassy.org/index.php?page=language-and-religion
- ↑ https://books.google.com.gh/books?id=mtd3a-56ysUC&pg=PA847&redir_esc=y
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085659/http://www.ling.hf.ntnu.no/tross/osam.pdf
- ↑ http://www.johnchernoff.com/Master%20Drummers%20of%20Dagbon%20notes.html
- ↑ R. S. Rattray Journal of the Royal African Society Vol. 30, No. 118 (Jan.,1931), pp. 40-57 (1931). "The Tribes of the Ashanti Hinterland" (1932)". Journal of the Royal African Society. Oxford University Press. 30 (118): 40-57. JSTOR 716938.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20131112001558/http://www.ghanaculture.gov.gh/index1.php?linkid=331&page=2§ionid=602
- ↑ https://qz.com/africa/1588566/ghanas-president-wants-french-as-a-second-language
- ↑ https://www.pulse.com.gh/bi/strategy/ghana-adopts-french-as-its-second-official-language/eg77s29
- ↑ https://www.omniglot.com/writing/akan.htm
- ↑ http://verbafricana.org/ewe/c-ewe-language.htm
- ↑ https://www.unrisd.org/en/library/publications/ethnic-structure-inequality-and-governance-of-the-public-sector-in-ghana
- ↑ https://www.ethnologue.com/country/GH/#languages