Kwa language - Definition and Overview

The Kwa languages are spoken in the south-eastern part of Côte d'Ivoire, in Ghana, Togo and Benin, and the south-Western corner of Nigeria. The term was introduced 1885 by Krause and used by Westermann (1952) and Greenberg (1963). According to Westermann (1952), the term Kwa is derived form the word for 'people' in many of these languages, which contains the root kwa.

The term Kwa is sometimes deemed as incorrect today, since present analysis does not consider Kwa in its original form to be a genetic unit. Yoruba and Igbo are placed in the Benue-Congo subfamily en the remaining languages are labeled New Kwa in order to avoid confusion with the old, larger Kwa family.

Kwa languages

The following languages belong to this group:

• The Gbe languages
• Adele
• Akan
• Ga (also Ga-Dangme)

See also

• Kru languages
• Gur languages

Sources

• Westermann, Diedrich Hermann (1952) Languages of West Africa (Part II). London/New York/Toronto: Oxford University Press.