Yacouba
Dan
Niger-Congo (Mande, Eastern, Southern)
Dan (also called Yacouba in Côte d'Ivoire and Gio in Liberia) is an Eastern Mande language of the western Côte d'Ivoire-Liberia border region around the city of Man. Notable for an exceptionally complex tone system: 5 contrastive level tones plus contour tones, totalling 12-14 tonal categories — among the richest tone inventories documented for any African language. The Dan people are also famous for the iconic Dan masks of Man (gle masks), which became important reference works in early-20th-century European art history.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Dan
Water
yi
/ji/
Fire
siŋ
/siŋ/
Sun
lai
/lai/
Moon
siŋ
/siŋ/
Mother
da
/da/
Father
de
/de/
Eat
dɛ
/dɛ/
Drink
mi
/mi/
Love
be
/be/
Heart
gbɔɔ
/ɡbɔː/
Tree
gbe
/ɡbe/
House
kɔ
/kɔ/
Dog
gbɛ
/ɡbɛ/
Cat
nyaa
/ɲaː/
Hand
kɔ
/kɔ/
Eye
ŋkɛ̃
/ŋkɛ̃/
Hello
daka
/daka/
Thank you
kpe
/kpe/
One
do
/do/
Good
ka
/ka/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Mande, Eastern, Southern) languages
| Meaning | Dan | Mano | Vai | Ingush | Chechen | Susu | Warao |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | yi /ji/ | yi /ji/ | ꕜꕩ /daja/ | хий /xij/ | хи /xi/ | yi /ji/ | hoidu /hojdu/ |
| Fire | siŋ /siŋ/ | kɔ /kɔ/ | ꕪꔻ /kaːsi/ | цӏе /tsʼe/ | цӏе /tsʼe/ | te /te/ | hekunu /hekunu/ |
| Sun | lai /lai/ | lɛ /lɛ/ | ꕒꔧ /foɛ/ | малх /malx/ | малх /malx/ | soge /soɡe/ | ya /ja/ |
| Moon | siŋ /siŋ/ | lɔ /lɔ/ | ꕬꖝ /laro/ | бутт /butː/ | бутт /butː/ | kike /kike/ | waniku /waniku/ |
| Mother | da /da/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ | ꖣ /na/ | наьна /næna/ | нана /nana/ | nga /ŋɡa/ | dani /dani/ |
| Father | de /de/ | de /de/ | ꕝ /dɛ/ | да /da/ | да /da/ | baba /baba/ | daka /daka/ |
| Eat | dɛ /dɛ/ | mɛ /mɛ/ | ꕒ /fa/ | даа /daː/ | даа /daː/ | don /don/ | nahoro /nahoɾo/ |
| Drink | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | ꕇ /mi/ | мала /mala/ | мала /mala/ | min /min/ | osi /osi/ |
| Love | be /be/ | ŋalo /ŋalo/ | ꖣꔆ /nai/ | безам /bezam/ | безам /bezam/ | xanunteya /xanunteja/ | anaubu /anaubu/ |
| Heart | gbɔɔ /ɡbɔː/ | gba /ɡba/ | ꔖꕇ /sɛni/ | дог /doɡ/ | дог /doɡ/ | biye /bije/ | obonona /obonona/ |
| Tree | gbe /ɡbe/ | ka /ka/ | ꕘ /wuɾu/ | га /ɡa/ | дитт /ditː/ | wuri /wuɾi/ | dau /daw/ |
| House | kɔ /kɔ/ | kpɛ /kpɛ/ | ꕜꖢ /daɛ/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | banxi /banxi/ | hanoko /hanoko/ |
| Dog | gbɛ /ɡbɛ/ | gba /ɡba/ | ꕝꖣ /dɛni/ | жӏали /ʒˤali/ | жӏала /ʒˤala/ | barɛ /baɾɛ/ | aurahu /auɾahu/ |
| Cat | nyaa /ɲaː/ | poso /poso/ | ꖷꖬ /musu/ | циск /tsisk/ | цициг /tsitsiɡ/ | nyɛɛsu /ɲɛːsu/ | mishi /miʃi/ |
| Hand | kɔ /kɔ/ | kɔ /kɔ/ | ꕢ /sɔ/ | куьг /kyɡ/ | куьг /kyɡ/ | belexɛ /belexɛ/ | mokomoko /mokomoko/ |
| Eye | ŋkɛ̃ /ŋkɛ̃/ | mi /mi/ | ꖌ /ɲa/ | бӏаьрг /bˤæɾɡ/ | бӏаьрг /bˤæɾɡ/ | ya /ja/ | mu /mu/ |
| Hello | daka /daka/ | ye /je/ | ꕒꔢ /famo/ | моаршал /moaɾʃal/ | маршалла /maɾʃalːa/ | inu uxara /inu uxaɾa/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ |
| Thank you | kpe /kpe/ | nyɛŋ /ɲɛŋ/ | ꖢꕜ /sɛda/ | баркал /baɾkal/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | inu wali /inu wali/ | kase /kase/ |
| One | do /do/ | do /do/ | ꕴꖝ /do/ | цаӀ /tsaʔ/ | цхьа /t͡sʜa/ | keren /keɾen/ | hisaka /hisaka/ |
| Good | ka /ka/ | kɛlɛ /kɛlɛ/ | ꖝꖢ /sue/ | дика /dika/ | дика /dika/ | fanyi /faɲi/ | yakera /jakeɾa/ |
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