Ligbi language: Difference between revisions
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|name=Ligbi |
|name=Ligbi |
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|states=[[Ghana]] |
|states=[[Ghana]] |
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|region=Brong-Ahafo region, adjacent part of [[ |
|region=Brong-Ahafo region, adjacent part of [[Ivory Coast]] |
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|speakers=10,000 |
|speakers=10,000 |
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|familycolor=Niger-Congo |
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|iso3=lig}} |
|iso3=lig}} |
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'''Ligbi''' (or Ligby) is a [[Mande languages|Mande language]] spoken in [[Ghana]] in the north-west corner of the [[Brong-Ahafo]] region. Ligbi is spoken by approximately 10 000 speakers (1988 GILLBT/[[SIL International|SIL]]). It is fairly closely related to [[Dioula language|Jula]], [[Vai language|Vai]] and [[Kono language|Kono]]. A small population of Ligbi speakers (4 000) is reported to live in |
'''Ligbi''' (or Ligby) is a [[Mande languages|Mande language]] spoken in [[Ghana]] in the north-west corner of the [[Brong-Ahafo]] region. Ligbi is spoken by approximately 10 000 speakers (1988 GILLBT/[[SIL International|SIL]]). It is fairly closely related to [[Dioula language|Jula]], [[Vai language|Vai]] and [[Kono language|Kono]]. A small population of Ligbi speakers (4 000) is reported to live in Ivory Coast (Vanderaa 1991). Ligbi is also known as Wela, Hwela or Numu. The latter of these refers to a subsection of the Ligbi people; Numu is Dyula for 'blacksmith'. (See [[blacksmiths of western Africa]].) |
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The Ligbi area in Ghana is bordered to the west by [[Nafaanra language|Nafaanra]], the [[Senufo languages|Senufo]] language of the [[Nafana (people)|Nafana]] people. The Ligbi people have come to the area of [[Begho]] (Bighu), an ancient trading town on the Tain river in Ghana, in the early 17th century before the Nafana.<ref> |
The Ligbi area in Ghana is bordered to the west by [[Nafaanra language|Nafaanra]], the [[Senufo languages|Senufo]] language of the [[Nafana (people)|Nafana]] people. The Ligbi people have come to the area of [[Begho]] (Bighu), an ancient trading town on the Tain river in Ghana, in the early 17th century before the Nafana.<ref>Jack Goody, "The Mande and the Akan Hinterland", in: The Historian in Tropical Africa, J.Vansina, R.Mauny and L.V.Thomas eds., 1964, London, Oxford University, 192-218</ref> |
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Ligbi has seven oral and seven nasal vowels. It is a tonal language with two level tones, High and Low. Syllables are of the form (C<sub>1</sub>)V(C<sub>2</sub>) or N (a [[syllabic nasal]]), where CV is the most common syllable type. C<sub>1</sub> can be any of the consonants, whereas the optional C<sub>2</sub> slot can have only nasals [[homorganic]] with the following consonants, e.g., ''gbá<u>m</u> mádáánè'' "nine houses," ''gbá<u>n</u> táà'' "ten houses." V (a vowel) alone occurs word-initial only in personal pronouns, some loan words, and names, e.g., ''á jádɛ̀'' "we have come." |
Ligbi has seven oral and seven nasal vowels. It is a tonal language with two level tones, High and Low. Syllables are of the form (C<sub>1</sub>)V(C<sub>2</sub>) or N (a [[syllabic nasal]]), where CV is the most common syllable type. C<sub>1</sub> can be any of the consonants, whereas the optional C<sub>2</sub> slot can have only nasals [[homorganic]] with the following consonants, e.g., ''gbá<u>m</u> mádáánè'' "nine houses," ''gbá<u>n</u> táà'' "ten houses." V (a vowel) alone occurs word-initial only in personal pronouns, some loan words, and names, e.g., ''á jádɛ̀'' "we have come." |
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[[Category:Languages of Ghana]] |
[[Category:Languages of Ghana]] |
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[[Category:Blacksmiths]] |
[[Category:Blacksmiths]] |
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{{nc-lang-stub}} |
{{nc-lang-stub}} |
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Revision as of 03:05, 30 June 2012
| Ligbi | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Ghana |
| Region | Brong-Ahafo region, adjacent part of Ivory Coast |
Native speakers | 10,000 |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | lig |
| ELP | Hwela |
Ligbi (or Ligby) is a Mande language spoken in Ghana in the north-west corner of the Brong-Ahafo region. Ligbi is spoken by approximately 10 000 speakers (1988 GILLBT/SIL). It is fairly closely related to Jula, Vai and Kono. A small population of Ligbi speakers (4 000) is reported to live in Ivory Coast (Vanderaa 1991). Ligbi is also known as Wela, Hwela or Numu. The latter of these refers to a subsection of the Ligbi people; Numu is Dyula for 'blacksmith'. (See blacksmiths of western Africa.)
The Ligbi area in Ghana is bordered to the west by Nafaanra, the Senufo language of the Nafana people. The Ligbi people have come to the area of Begho (Bighu), an ancient trading town on the Tain river in Ghana, in the early 17th century before the Nafana.[1]
Ligbi has seven oral and seven nasal vowels. It is a tonal language with two level tones, High and Low. Syllables are of the form (C1)V(C2) or N (a syllabic nasal), where CV is the most common syllable type. C1 can be any of the consonants, whereas the optional C2 slot can have only nasals homorganic with the following consonants, e.g., gbám mádáánè "nine houses," gbán táà "ten houses." V (a vowel) alone occurs word-initial only in personal pronouns, some loan words, and names, e.g., á jádɛ̀ "we have come."
Notes
- ^ Jack Goody, "The Mande and the Akan Hinterland", in: The Historian in Tropical Africa, J.Vansina, R.Mauny and L.V.Thomas eds., 1964, London, Oxford University, 192-218
References
- Persson, Andrew and Janet (1976) 'Ligbi', in Mary Esther Kropp Dakubu (ed.) West African Linguistic Data Sheets, vol 1.