Dagbanli
Dagbani
Niger-Congo (Gur, Mabia)
Dagbani (Dagbanli) is the language of the Dagomba people of northern Ghana. It is a Mabia (Western Oti-Volta) language closely related to Mampruli and Nanun, and is the language of the historical Kingdom of Dagbon.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Dagbani
Water
kom
/kɔm/
Fire
buɣim
/buɣim/
Sun
wuntaŋa
/wuntaŋa/
Moon
goli
/ɡoli/
Star
saŋmariga
/saŋmariɡa/
Mother
ma
/ma/
Father
ba
/ba/
I
mani
/máni/
You
nyini
/ɲĩni/
Name
yuli
/juli/
Eye
nini
/nini/
Hand
nuu
/nuː/
Heart
suhu
/suhu/
Love
yu
/ju/
Tree
tia
/tia/
House
yili
/jili/
Dog
baa
/baː/
Cat
jɛŋkuno
/dʒɛŋkuno/
Eat
di
/di/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
One
yini
/jini/
Two
ayi
/aji/
Hello
dasiba
/dasiba/
Thank you
mpaɣya
/mpaɣja/
Good
viɛla
/viɛla/
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Gur, Mabia) languages
| Meaning | Dagbani | Mampruli | Mooré | Donno So | Aymara | Meta' | Machame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kom /kɔm/ | kuom /kuom/ | koom /koːm/ | di /di/ | uma /uma/ | mə /mə/ | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ |
| Fire | buɣim /buɣim/ | booma /boːma/ | bʋgʋm /bʊɡʊm/ | yɔ /jɔ/ | nina /nina/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | mòò /moːʔ/ |
| Sun | wuntaŋa /wuntaŋa/ | wuntiri /wuntiri/ | wəntinga /wəntiŋɡa/ | naa /naː/ | inti /inti/ | nyam /ɲam/ | ìsùwà /isuwa/ |
| Moon | goli /ɡoli/ | gɔoŋ /ɡɔːŋ/ | kiuugu /kiuːɡu/ | ele /ele/ | phaxsi /pʰaχsi/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | mwezi /mwezi/ |
| Star | saŋmariga /saŋmariɡa/ | ŋmariga /ŋmariɡa/ | ãdga /ãdɡa/ | tolo /tolo/ | warawara /waɾawaɾa/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ |
| Mother | ma /ma/ | ma /ma/ | ma /ma/ | na /na/ | mama /mama/ | ma /ma/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | ba /ba/ | tata /tata/ | ta /ta/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | mani /máni/ | mani /mani/ | mam /mãm/ | mi /mi/ | naya /naja/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | inyi /iɲi/ |
| You | nyini /ɲĩni/ | fu /fʊ/ | fo /fʊ/ | u /u/ | juma /huma/ | ò /ò/ | uwe /uwe/ |
| Name | yuli /juli/ | yuli /juli/ | yʋʋre /jʊːre/ | boy /bɔj/ | suti /suti/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | irina /irina/ |
| Eye | nini /nini/ | nini /nini/ | nin /nin/ | giré /ɡiɾe/ | nayra /najɾa/ | dzi /dzi/ | rítiò /ɾitio/ |
| Hand | nuu /nuː/ | nuusi /nuːsi/ | nug /nuɡ/ | nu /nu/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ | boa /boa/ | kùoòko /kuoːko/ |
| Heart | suhu /suhu/ | suuri /suːri/ | sũur /sũːr/ | kɛɛla /kɛːla/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ | mu /mu/ | mòyò /mojo/ |
| Love | yu /ju/ | paaba /paːba/ | nong /noŋɡ/ | suuli /suːli/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ |
| Tree | tia /tia/ | tia /tia/ | tɩɩg /tɪːɡ/ | ti /ti/ | quqa /quqa/ | ti /ti/ | mtí /mti/ |
| House | yili /jili/ | yiri /jiri/ | roogo /roːɡo/ | gina /ɡina/ | uta /uta/ | nda /nda/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | baa /baː/ | baaga /baːɡa/ | baaga /baːɡa/ | gɛɛ /ɡɛː/ | anu /anu/ | mbu /mbu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | jɛŋkuno /dʒɛŋkuno/ | nyusi /ɲusi/ | yʋʋga /jʊːɡa/ | monyi /moɲi/ | phisi /pʰisi/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | di /di/ | di /di/ | dɩ /dɪ/ | kɔɔ /kɔː/ | manqʼaña /manqʼaɲa/ | mé /me/ | ìlya /iʎa/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | yʋ /jʊ/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | umaña /umaɲa/ | nyo /ɲo/ | ìnyo /iɲo/ |
| One | yini /jini/ | yini /jini/ | a yɛmbɛr /a jɛmbɛr/ | tum /tum/ | maya /maja/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | ìmwí /imwi/ |
| Two | ayi /aji/ | ayi /ajɪ/ | yiibu /jiːbu/ | lɛy /lɛj/ | paya /paja/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | iwi /iwi/ |
| Hello | dasiba /dasiba/ | n na ti bʋɔ /n na ti bʊɔ/ | ne y yibeoogo /ne i jibeoːɡo/ | agandɛla /aɡandɛla/ | kamisaki /kamisaki/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ |
| Thank you | mpaɣya /mpaɣja/ | barika /barika/ | barka /barka/ | biguƞ /biɡũ/ | yuspagara /juspaɣaɾa/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | ahsànte /ahsante/ |
| Good | viɛla /viɛla/ | vɛla /vɛla/ | sõma /sõma/ | suuli /suːli/ | suma /suma/ | mwa /mwa/ | ìchá /itʃa/ |
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