ABSTRACT
This language family is made up of Niger-Congo and Kordofanian. Niger-Congo, spoken in the basins of the Niger and Congo Rivers, has these subfamilies: (1) Adamawa-Ubanji, spoken in parts of Central Africa and has languages such as Gbaya, Banda, and Zande. (2) (New) Benue-Congo, which includes the former Eastern Kwa-Yoruba, Edo, Nupe, Idoma, Igbo-and Bantoid (subclassified into non-Bantu and Wide Bantu.). Swahili, Kikuyu, Zulu, and Xhosa are important Benue-Congo languages. (3) Gur languages are spoken in West Africa-Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso. They subdivide into Oti-Volta and Grusi. Gurenne, Wali (Dagaari), Dagbani, Buli, Kusaal, Bassari, Ntrobo, Kasem, Sisaala, and Nafaanra are Gur languages. (4) Ijo is spoken by the Ijo of Nigeria and covers both Ijo and Defaka. (5) Kru languages include Grebo and Bassa. (6) Mande, spoken in parts of Mali, Coat d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Ghana, among others, has languages like Bambara, Maninka, Kpelle, Busa, Ligbi, and Bobo. (7) (New) Kwa has languages such as Akan, Ewe (and other Gbe languages), Ga, and Togo-remnant languages, among others. (New) Kwa has undergone tremendous classification and reclassification. It includes languages spoken in southern Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, and southeastern Nigeria. (8) West Atlantic languages are spoken in the area stretching from the Senegal River down into Liberia. They include Fula, Wolof, Diola, and Temne.
