Nzɛma
Nzima
Niger-Congo
Nzima (autonymously Nzɛma) is a Kwa language of the Niger-Congo family, spoken by around 330,000 people in the western Western Region of Ghana and adjacent eastern Côte d'Ivoire. The Nzima are most internationally famous as the home community of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's independence-era founding president, who was born in Nkroful in Nzemaland in 1909. Linguistically, Nzima is part of the Bia branch of Kwa, closely related to Ahanta and more distantly to the major Twi-Akan dialect cluster (ak). The Nzima maintain strong cultural traditions including the annual Kundum festival celebrated across Nzemaland in August/September. Nzima has a developed literary tradition supported by the Bureau of Ghana Languages, with primary education materials and Nzima-language radio programming on Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Nzima
Water
nzule
/nzule/
Fire
sinya
/sinja/
Sun
ewia
/ewia/
Moon
siane
/sjane/
Mother
enwo
/enwo/
Father
ekyele
/ecele/
Eat
di
/di/
Drink
nu
/nu/
Love
ɛlɔlɛ
/ɛlɔlɛ/
Heart
ahonle
/ahonle/
Tree
baka
/baka/
House
suakɛ
/suakɛ/
Dog
kraman
/kraman/
Cat
agyinamoa
/adʑinamoa/
Hand
ɛsa
/ɛsa/
Eye
anye
/anje/
Hello
akwaaba
/akʷaːba/
Thank you
medaase
/medaase/
One
kʊ
/kʊ/
Good
kpa
/kpa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Nzima | Akan (Twi) | Baoulé | Cook Islands Māori | Kanite | Konso | Niuean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nzule /nzule/ | nsuo /nsuo/ | nzue /nzue/ | vai /vai/ | nai /nai/ | inanta /inanta/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | sinya /sinja/ | ogya /odʑa/ | sin /sĩ/ | ahi /ahi/ | lo /lo/ | iya /ija/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | ewia /ewia/ | owia /owia/ | wia /wia/ | rā /raː/ | suka /suka/ | kawa /kawa/ | lā /laː/ |
| Moon | siane /sjane/ | ɔsrane /ɔsrane/ | anglo /aŋlo/ | marama /marama/ | ika /ika/ | ayeena /ajeːna/ | mahina /mahina/ |
| Mother | enwo /enwo/ | ɛna /ɛna/ | nin /nĩ/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | nene /nene/ | eedda /eːdːa/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ |
| Father | ekyele /ecele/ | agya /adʑa/ | baba /baba/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | nafa /nafa/ | abba /abːa/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ |
| Eat | di /di/ | didi /didi/ | di /di/ | kai /kai/ | ne /ne/ | ihaa /ihaː/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | nom /nom/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | inu /inu/ | ne /ne/ | inakkaa /inakːaː/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | ɛlɔlɛ /ɛlɔlɛ/ | ɔdɔ /ɔdɔ/ | klo /klo/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | avesi /avesi/ | jaalla /dʒaːlːa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ |
| Heart | ahonle /ahonle/ | akoma /akoma/ | awlɛn /awlɛ̃/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | agu /aɡu/ | onna /onːa/ | fatu /fatu/ |
| Tree | baka /baka/ | dua /dua/ | waka /waka/ | rākau /raːkau/ | yafa /jafa/ | ergaa /erɡaː/ | akau /akau/ |
| House | suakɛ /suakɛ/ | efie /efie/ | sua /sua/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | no /no/ | mana /mana/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | kraman /kraman/ | kraman /kraman/ | alua /alua/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | ovava /ovava/ | kareta /kaɾeta/ | kuli /kuli/ |
| Cat | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | bisua /bisua/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | pusi /pusi/ | adurree /aduɾːeː/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | ɛsa /ɛsa/ | nsa /nsa/ | sa /sa/ | rima /ɾima/ | azana /azana/ | harka /haɾka/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | anye /anje/ | aniwa /aniwa/ | nyrun /ɲɾũ/ | mata /mata/ | avu /avu/ | ila /ila/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaba /akwaba/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | naipa /naipa/ | akkam /akːam/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ |
| Thank you | medaase /medaase/ | medaase /medaase/ | moh /mo/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | susu /susu/ | galta /ɡalta/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ |
| One | kʊ /kʊ/ | baako /baːko/ | kun /kũ/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | magoke /maɡoke/ | takka /takːa/ | taha /taha/ |
| Good | kpa /kpa/ | pa /pa/ | kpa /kpa/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | knaga /knaɡa/ | fayye /fajːe/ | mitaki /mitaki/ |
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