Dangme
Adangme
Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Kwa, Ga-Adangme)
Adangme (Dangme) is the language of the Adangme people of southeastern Ghana, comprising several closely related varieties (Ada, Krobo, Osudoku, Shai, Ningo, Gbugbla). Sister to Ga (gaa) within the Ga-Adangme branch of Niger-Congo Kwa. The Adangme have a rich oral tradition and are famous for the Dipo female puberty rites still actively practiced today. Tonal with two contrastive registers; ATR vowel harmony and prefix-based aspect marking. Government-sponsored as one of 11 national languages with literacy programs and BBC/GBC broadcasting.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Adangme
Water
nyu
/ɲu/
Fire
la
/la/
Sun
hyɛ
/çɛ/
Moon
nyɔnyɔɛ
/ɲɔɲɔɛ/
Mother
nyɛ
/ɲɛ/
Father
tsɛ
/tsɛ/
Eat
ye
/je/
Drink
nu
/nu/
Love
suomi
/suomi/
Heart
tsui
/tsui/
Tree
tso
/tso/
House
we
/we/
Dog
gbe
/ɡbe/
Cat
adi
/adi/
Hand
nine
/nine/
Eye
hiŋmɛ
/hiŋmɛ/
Hello
daa
/daː/
Thank you
ojakuɛ
/odʒakwɛ/
One
kake
/kake/
Good
hɛŋmi
/hɛŋmi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Kwa, Ga-Adangme) languages
| Meaning | Adangme | Ga | Gen (Mina) | Aja | Kpelle | Hiri Motu | Blin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nyu /ɲu/ | nu /nu/ | tsi /tsi/ | esi /esi/ | ya /ja/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | አኳ /akwa/ |
| Fire | la /la/ | la /la/ | dzo /dzo/ | ezo /ezo/ | kɔ̃a /kõa/ | lahi /lahi/ | ላእ /laʔ/ |
| Sun | hyɛ /çɛ/ | hulu /hulu/ | ɣe /ɣe/ | eŋke /eŋke/ | pelei /pelei/ | dina /dina/ | ኤርሕ /erəħ/ |
| Moon | nyɔnyɔɛ /ɲɔɲɔɛ/ | ŋɔɔŋmɔ /ŋɔɔŋmɔ/ | dzinkɛ /dʒinkɛ/ | esun /esun/ | kɔŋɔ /kɔŋɔ/ | hua /hua/ | ቸራ /tʃəra/ |
| Mother | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | ngaa /ŋaː/ | sina /sina/ | እና /əna/ |
| Father | tsɛ /tsɛ/ | tsɛ /tsɛ/ | tɔ /tɔ/ | to /to/ | laai /laːi/ | tama /tama/ | አባ /aba/ |
| Eat | ye /je/ | yɛ /jɛ/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | nyii /ɲiː/ | ania /ania/ | ምሰራ /məsəra/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | nu /nu/ | no /no/ | nu /nu/ | yiti /jiti/ | inua /inua/ | መዕያ /mətʕəja/ |
| Love | suomi /suomi/ | suɔmɔ /suɔmɔ/ | lɔ̃lɔ̃ /lɔ̃lɔ̃/ | lɔ̃ /lɔ̃/ | gboma /ɡboma/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | ኩረቦ /kurəbo/ |
| Heart | tsui /tsui/ | tsui /tsui/ | dzi /dzi/ | dzi /dzi/ | lii /liː/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | ሊባ /liba/ |
| Tree | tso /tso/ | tso /tso/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | woo /woː/ | au /au/ | ሐጨር /ħətʃər/ |
| House | we /we/ | shia /ʃia/ | aƒe /aɸe/ | avia /avia/ | pere /pere/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | ጊና /ɡina/ |
| Dog | gbe /ɡbe/ | gbei /ɡbei/ | avu /avu/ | avu /avu/ | nyila /ɲila/ | sisia /sisia/ | ጋቢራ /ɡabira/ |
| Cat | adi /adi/ | adi /adi/ | agbo /aɡbo/ | ami /ami/ | gbele /ɡbele/ | pusi /pusi/ | ሐራ /ħara/ |
| Hand | nine /nine/ | nine /nine/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | yee /jeː/ | imana /imana/ | አንካዕ /ankaʕ/ |
| Eye | hiŋmɛ /hiŋmɛ/ | hiŋmɛi /hiŋmɛi/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | ŋɛ /ŋɛ/ | matana /matana/ | ኢላ /ila/ |
| Hello | daa /daː/ | ɔ jɔ /ɔ jɔ/ | ado /ado/ | nɛnɛ /nɛnɛ/ | halee /haleː/ | namona /namona/ | ኢራዋ /irawa/ |
| Thank you | ojakuɛ /odʒakwɛ/ | oyiwala /ojiwala/ | akpe /akpe/ | amɛ akpe /amɛ akpe/ | balika /balika/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | ቀንየለይ /qənjələj/ |
| One | kake /kake/ | ekome /ekome/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | taa /taː/ | ta /ta/ | አሬ /are/ |
| Good | hɛŋmi /hɛŋmi/ | ekpakpa /ekpakpa/ | nyo /ɲo/ | nyo /ɲo/ | nyaŋa /ɲaŋa/ | namo /namo/ | ጨጋ /tʃəɡa/ |
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