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
31 core words in Nzima
Water
nzule
/nzule/
Fire
sinya
/sinja/
Sun
ewia
/ewia/
Moon
siane
/sjane/
Star
nzonlenle
/nzɔnlɛnlɛ/
Mother
enwo
/enwo/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
me
/mè/
You
wɔ
/wɔ/
Name
duma
/duma/
Eye
anye
/anje/
Hand
ɛsa
/ɛsa/
Heart
ahonle
/ahonle/
Love
ɛlɔlɛ
/ɛlɔlɛ/
Tree
baka
/baka/
House
suakɛ
/suakɛ/
Dog
kraman
/kraman/
Cat
agyinamoa
/adʑinamoa/
Eat
di
/di/
Drink
nu
/nu/
One
kʊ
/kʊ/
Two
nwiɔ
/nwiɔ/
Hello
akwaaba
/akʷaːba/
Thank you
medaase
/medaase/
Good
kpa
/kpa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Nzima | Akan (Twi) | Baoulé | Ewondo | Cook Islands Māori | Kanite | Izii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nzule /nzule/ | nsuo /nsuo/ | nzue /nzue/ | medzim /medzim/ | vai /vai/ | nai /nai/ | mini /mini/ |
| Fire | sinya /sinja/ | ogya /odʑa/ | sin /sĩ/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ahi /ahi/ | lo /lo/ | oku /oku/ |
| Sun | ewia /ewia/ | owia /owia/ | wia /wia/ | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | rā /raː/ | suka /suka/ | anwu /aŋwu/ |
| Moon | siane /sjane/ | ɔsrane /ɔsrane/ | anglo /aŋlo/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | marama /marama/ | ika /ika/ | onwa /oŋwa/ |
| Star | nzonlenle /nzɔnlɛnlɛ/ | nsoromma /n̩sòròmmá/ | nzraama /nzraːma/ | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | etū /eˈtuː/ | ka'nefi /kaʔnefi/ | kpakpando /kpakpando/ |
| Mother | enwo /enwo/ | ɛna /ɛna/ | nin /nĩ/ | nyia /ɲia/ | māmā /maːmaː/ | nene /nene/ | nne /nːe/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | agya /adʑa/ | baba /baba/ | tara /taɾa/ | pāpā /paːpaː/ | nafa /nafa/ | nna /nːa/ |
| I | me /mè/ | me /mɪ̀/ | mín /mĩ́/ | ma /má/ | au /au/ | nagaya /naɡaja/ | mụ /mʊ/ |
| You | wɔ /wɔ/ | wo /wʊ̀/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | wa /wá/ | koe /koe/ | kagaya /kaɡaja/ | gị /ɡɪ/ |
| Name | duma /duma/ | din /dín/ | dunman /dũmã/ | jôé /ʒóé/ | ingoa /iˈŋoa/ | agi /aɡi/ | aha /aha/ |
| Eye | anye /anje/ | aniwa /aniwa/ | nyrun /ɲɾũ/ | dzìs /dʒis/ | mata /mata/ | avu /avu/ | anya /aɲa/ |
| Hand | ɛsa /ɛsa/ | nsa /nsa/ | sa /sa/ | woó /woʔo/ | rima /ɾima/ | azana /azana/ | aka /aka/ |
| Heart | ahonle /ahonle/ | akoma /akoma/ | awlɛn /awlɛ̃/ | nlem /nlem/ | ngākau /ŋaːkau/ | agu /aɡu/ | obi /obi/ |
| Love | ɛlɔlɛ /ɛlɔlɛ/ | ɔdɔ /ɔdɔ/ | klo /klo/ | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | aro'a /aɾoʔa/ | avesi /avesi/ | ihunanya /ihunaɲa/ |
| Tree | baka /baka/ | dua /dua/ | waka /waka/ | elé /ele/ | rākau /raːkau/ | yafa /jafa/ | osisi /osisi/ |
| House | suakɛ /suakɛ/ | efie /efie/ | sua /sua/ | nda /nda/ | 'are /ʔaɾe/ | no /no/ | ulo /ulo/ |
| Dog | kraman /kraman/ | kraman /kraman/ | alua /alua/ | mvu /mvu/ | kurī /kuɾiː/ | ovava /ovava/ | nkita /ŋkita/ |
| Cat | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | agyinamoa /adʑinamoa/ | bisua /bisua/ | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | ngiao /ŋiao/ | pusi /pusi/ | nwamba /ŋwamba/ |
| Eat | di /di/ | didi /didi/ | di /di/ | di /di/ | kai /kai/ | ne /ne/ | ri /ɾi/ |
| Drink | nu /nu/ | nom /nom/ | nɔ /nɔ/ | nyu /ɲu/ | inu /inu/ | ne /ne/ | nu /nu/ |
| One | kʊ /kʊ/ | baako /baːko/ | kun /kũ/ | fok /fok/ | ta'i /taʔi/ | magoke /maɡoke/ | otu /otu/ |
| Two | nwiɔ /nwiɔ/ | mmienu /m̩mìɛ̀nu/ | nɲɔn /ɲɔ̃/ | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | rua /ˈrua/ | tole /tole/ | abụọ /abʊɔ/ |
| Hello | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaaba /akʷaːba/ | akwaba /akwaba/ | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | kia orāna /kia oɾaːna/ | naipa /naipa/ | ndo /ndo/ |
| Thank you | medaase /medaase/ | medaase /medaase/ | moh /mo/ | akiba /akiba/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | susu /susu/ | ima ego /ima eɡo/ |
| Good | kpa /kpa/ | pa /pa/ | kpa /kpa/ | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | knaga /knaɡa/ | oma /oma/ |
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