VoltaâCongo | |
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Geographic distribution | West Africa |
Linguistic classification | ?
NigerâCongo
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Subdivisions |
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Glottolog | volt1241 |
The VoltaâCongo languages shown within the NigerâCongo language family. Non-VoltaâCongo languages are greyscale. |
VoltaâCongo is a major branch of the AtlanticâCongo family. It includes all the Niger-Congo languages and subfamilies except the families of the erstwhile Atlantic and Kordofanian branches, Mande, Dogon, and Ijo. It thus only differs from AtlanticâCongo in that it excludes the Atlantic languages and, in some conceptions, Kru and Senufo.
In the infobox at the right, the languages which appear to be the most divergent (including the dubious Senufo and Kru, which may not be VoltaâCongo at all) are placed at the top, whereas those closer to the core (the similar "BenueâKwa" branches of Kwa, VoltaâNiger and BenueâCongo) are near the bottom. [1] If the Kwa or Savannas branches prove to be invalid, the tree will be even more crowded.
Comparative linguistic research by John M. Stewart in the sixties and seventies helped establish the genetic unity of VoltaâCongo and shed light on its internal structure, but the results remain tentative. Williamson and Blench (2000) note that in many cases it is difficult to draw clear lines between the branches of VoltaâCongo and suggest that this might indicate the diversification of a dialect continuum rather than a clear separation of families. This had been suggested before by Bennet (1983 as cited in Williamson and Blench 2000:17) in the case of the Gur and AdamawaâUbangi languages, which apart from Ubangian are now linked together as Savannas. Other branches are Kru, Senufo, Kwa, and BenueâCongo, which includes the well-known and particularly numerous Bantu group. The relationship of Kwa to BenueâCongo (named BenueâKwa), and the eastern and western branches of BenueâCongo to each other, remain obscure.
The vowel systems of VoltaâCongo languages have been the subject of much historical comparative linguistic debate. Casali (1995) defends the hypothesis that Proto-VoltaâCongo had a nine- or ten-vowel system employing vowel harmony and that this set has been reduced to a seven vowel-system in many VoltaâCongo languages. The GhanaâTogo Mountain languages are examples of languages where nine- or ten-vowel systems are still found.
VoltaâCongo | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution | West Africa |
Linguistic classification | ?
NigerâCongo
|
Subdivisions |
|
Glottolog | volt1241 |
The VoltaâCongo languages shown within the NigerâCongo language family. Non-VoltaâCongo languages are greyscale. |
VoltaâCongo is a major branch of the AtlanticâCongo family. It includes all the Niger-Congo languages and subfamilies except the families of the erstwhile Atlantic and Kordofanian branches, Mande, Dogon, and Ijo. It thus only differs from AtlanticâCongo in that it excludes the Atlantic languages and, in some conceptions, Kru and Senufo.
In the infobox at the right, the languages which appear to be the most divergent (including the dubious Senufo and Kru, which may not be VoltaâCongo at all) are placed at the top, whereas those closer to the core (the similar "BenueâKwa" branches of Kwa, VoltaâNiger and BenueâCongo) are near the bottom. [1] If the Kwa or Savannas branches prove to be invalid, the tree will be even more crowded.
Comparative linguistic research by John M. Stewart in the sixties and seventies helped establish the genetic unity of VoltaâCongo and shed light on its internal structure, but the results remain tentative. Williamson and Blench (2000) note that in many cases it is difficult to draw clear lines between the branches of VoltaâCongo and suggest that this might indicate the diversification of a dialect continuum rather than a clear separation of families. This had been suggested before by Bennet (1983 as cited in Williamson and Blench 2000:17) in the case of the Gur and AdamawaâUbangi languages, which apart from Ubangian are now linked together as Savannas. Other branches are Kru, Senufo, Kwa, and BenueâCongo, which includes the well-known and particularly numerous Bantu group. The relationship of Kwa to BenueâCongo (named BenueâKwa), and the eastern and western branches of BenueâCongo to each other, remain obscure.
The vowel systems of VoltaâCongo languages have been the subject of much historical comparative linguistic debate. Casali (1995) defends the hypothesis that Proto-VoltaâCongo had a nine- or ten-vowel system employing vowel harmony and that this set has been reduced to a seven vowel-system in many VoltaâCongo languages. The GhanaâTogo Mountain languages are examples of languages where nine- or ten-vowel systems are still found.