Languages of Ghana
| Languages of Ghana | |
|---|---|
| Official language(s) | English |
| Regional language(s) | Government-sponsored languages: Akan, Dagaare, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, Nzema |
| Main foreign language(s) | French |
| Lingua franca | English, Akan, Hausa |
Different sources give different figures for the number of languages of Ghana. This is because of different classifications of varieties as either languages or dialects. Ethnologue lists a total of 79 languages.
As with many ex-colonies in Africa, the official language of Ghana is the colonial language, English. Nine languages have the status of government-sponsored languages: Akan, Dagaare, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, Nzema. However, two dialects of Akan, Twi and Fante, although not government-sponsored, are also widely spoken in Ghana.
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[edit] Government-sponsored languages
There are nine government-sponsored languages. They are supported by the Bureau of Ghana Languages, which was established in 1951 and publishes materials in them. During the periods when Ghanaian languages were used in primary education, these were the languages which were used.
See also: Regions of Ghana for a map of the regions.
[edit] Akan
Twi is one of the Akan languages, which are part of the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is the most widely spoken language in Ghana. The dialects, especially Twi and Fante, are often given the status of separate languages.
[edit] Dagaare
Dagaare, and Whale is one of the Oti–Volta languages within the Gur branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is spoken in the Upper Western Region of Ghana. It is also spoken in Burkina Faso.
[edit] Dagbani
Dagbani is one of the Oti–Volta languages within the Gur branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is spoken in the Northern Region of Ghana.
[edit] Dangme
Dangme is one of the Ga–Dangme languages within the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is spoken in Greater Accra, in south-east Ghana and Togo.
[edit] Ewe
Ewe is a Gbe language, part of the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is spoken by approximately 2 million people in the Volta Region of south-east Ghana. It is also spoken in Togo.
[edit] Ga
Ga is a Kwa language, part of the Niger–Congo family. It is very closely related to Dangme, and together they form the Ga–Dangme branch within Kwa. Ga is spoken in south-eastern Ghana, in and around the capital Accra and Togo.
[edit] Gonja
Gonja is one of the Potou–Tano languages, part of the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is spoken in the Northern Region of Ghana and Wa.
[edit] Kasem
Kasem is a Gur branch of the Niger–Congo language family spoken in the Upper Eastern Region of Ghana. It is also spoken in Burkina Faso.
[edit] Nzema
Nzema is one of the Potou–Tano languages, part of the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is spoken by the Nzema people in the Western Region of Ghana. It is also spoken in the Ivory Coast.
[edit] Language classification
The languages of Ghana belong to the following subgroups within the Niger–Congo language family:
- Mande languages
- Gur languages, a subdivision of the Altantic-Congo languages
- Senufo languages (represented by Nafaanra; note that the Senufo languages were considered a branch of Gur in the past)
- Kwa languages, also a subdivision of Atlantic–Congo
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Ethnologue listing for Ghana
- Ethnologue map of languages in Ghana
- Owu-Ewie, Charles. 2006. The Language Policy of Education in Ghana: A Critical Look at the English-Only Language Policy of Education. In Selected Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference on African Linguistics, ed. John Mugane et al., 76-85. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
- PanAfrican L10n wiki page on Ghana
- L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde page on Ghana
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