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
31 core words in Adangme
Water
nyu
/ɲu/
Fire
la
/la/
Sun
hyɛ
/çɛ/
Moon
nyɔnyɔɛ
/ɲɔɲɔɛ/
Star
ŋulami
/ŋulami/
Mother
nyɛ
/ɲɛ/
Father
tsɛ
/tsɛ/
I
i
/i/
You
mo
/mo/
Name
biɛ
/biɛ/
Eye
hiŋmɛ
/hiŋmɛ/
Hand
nine
/nine/
Heart
tsui
/tsui/
Love
suɔmi
/suɔmi/
Tree
tso
/tso/
House
we
/we/
Dog
gbe
/ɡbe/
Cat
adi
/adi/
Eat
ye
/je/
Drink
nu
/nu/
One
kake
/kake/
Two
enyɔ
/eɲɔ/
Hello
daa
/daː/
Thank you
ojakuɛ
/odʒakwɛ/
Good
hɛŋmi
/hɛŋmi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Volta-Niger, Kwa, Ga-Adangme) languages
| Meaning | Adangme | Ga | Aja | Sango | Gen (Mina) | Degema | Isoko |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nyu /ɲu/ | nu /nu/ | esi /esi/ | ngu /ŋɡu/ | tsi /tsi/ | mọn /mɔn/ | ame /ame/ |
| Fire | la /la/ | la /la/ | ezo /ezo/ | wa /wa/ | dzo /dzo/ | ọmạrị /ɔmaɾi/ | erae /eɾae/ |
| Sun | hyɛ /çɛ/ | hulu /hulu/ | ewe /ewe/ | lâ /la/ | ɣe /ɣe/ | ọvịnị /ɔvini/ | ọvẹ /ɔvɛ/ |
| Moon | nyɔnyɔɛ /ɲɔɲɔɛ/ | ŋɔɔŋmɔ /ŋɔɔŋmɔ/ | esun /esun/ | nzë /nzɛ/ | dzinkɛ /dʒinkɛ/ | ọsọ /ɔsɔ/ | ọwa /ɔwa/ |
| Star | ŋulami /ŋulami/ | ŋulami /ŋùlámi/ | ɣletivi /ɣletivi/ | tongoro /toŋɡoro/ | ɣletsivi /ɣletsivi/ | esi /esi/ | esi /esi/ |
| Mother | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | mama /mama/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | inyeyẹ /iɲɛjɛ/ | oni /oni/ |
| Father | tsɛ /tsɛ/ | tsɛ /tsɛ/ | to /to/ | babâ /baba/ | tɔ /tɔ/ | etete /etete/ | ọsẹ /ɔsɛ/ |
| I | i /i/ | mi /mì/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | mbi /mbi/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ | mẹ /mɛ/ |
| You | mo /mo/ | bo /bo/ | wo /wo/ | mo /mo/ | wò /wò/ | wo /wo/ | whẹ /ʍɛ/ |
| Name | biɛ /biɛ/ | gbɛi /gbɛ́i/ | nyikɔ /ɲikɔ/ | iri /iri/ | ŋkɔ /ŋkɔ/ | eni /eni/ | odẹ /odɛ/ |
| Eye | hiŋmɛ /hiŋmɛ/ | hiŋmɛi /hiŋmɛi/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | lê /lɛ/ | ŋku /ŋku/ | enẹ /enɛ/ | ẹro /ɛɾo/ |
| Hand | nine /nine/ | nine /nine/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | maboko /maboko/ | alɔ /alɔ/ | ọnẹ /ɔnɛ/ | obọ /obɔ/ |
| Heart | tsui /tsui/ | tsui /tsui/ | dzi /dzi/ | bê /bɛ/ | dzi /dzi/ | ọkọmpọnị /ɔkɔmpɔni/ | udu /udu/ |
| Love | suɔmi /suɔmi/ | suɔmɔ /suɔmɔ/ | lɔ̃ /lɔ̃/ | ndoyê /ndojɛ/ | lɔ̃lɔ̃ /lɔ̃lɔ̃/ | inyiẹna /iɲjɛna/ | ọsuọ /ɔswɔ/ |
| Tree | tso /tso/ | tso /tso/ | ati /ati/ | kêkê /kɛkɛ/ | ati /ati/ | eyo /ejo/ | orhan /oɾan/ |
| House | we /we/ | shia /ʃia/ | avia /avia/ | dâ /da/ | aƒe /aɸe/ | ọsụnẹ /ɔsunɛ/ | uwowhe /uwowhe/ |
| Dog | gbe /ɡbe/ | gbei /ɡbei/ | avu /avu/ | mbo /mbo/ | avu /avu/ | ifụnị /ifuni/ | ebọ /ebɔ/ |
| Cat | adi /adi/ | adi /adi/ | ami /ami/ | nyao /ɲao/ | agbo /aɡbo/ | ọchẹ /ɔtʃɛ/ | ọtọmha /ɔtɔmha/ |
| Eat | ye /je/ | yɛ /jɛ/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | te /te/ | ɖu /ɖu/ | re /ɾe/ | re /ɾe/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | nu /nu/ | nu /nu/ | nyon /ɲon/ | no /no/ | da /da/ | da /da/ |
| One | kake /kake/ | ekome /ekome/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | oko /oko/ | ɖeka /ɖeka/ | ọmọ /ɔmɔ/ | ọvo /ɔvo/ |
| Two | enyɔ /eɲɔ/ | enyɔ /eɲɔ/ | eve /eve/ | ûse /use/ | eve /eve/ | eva /eva/ | ivẹ /ivɛ/ |
| Hello | daa /daː/ | ɔ jɔ /ɔ jɔ/ | nɛnɛ /nɛnɛ/ | bara mo /bara mo/ | ado /ado/ | amọn /amɔn/ | mavọ /mavɔ/ |
| Thank you | ojakuɛ /odʒakwɛ/ | oyiwala /ojiwala/ | amɛ akpe /amɛ akpe/ | singila /siŋɡila/ | akpe /akpe/ | nani /nani/ | migwo /miɡwo/ |
| Good | hɛŋmi /hɛŋmi/ | ekpakpa /ekpakpa/ | nyo /ɲo/ | nzöni /nzəni/ | nyo /ɲo/ | ekenẹ /ekenɛ/ | ọwhọ /ɔwhɔ/ |
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