Central Tano languages explained

The Central Tano or Akan languages are languages of the Niger-Congo family (or perhaps the theorised Kwa languages^[1]) spoken in Ghana and Ivory Coast by the Akan people.

There are two or three languages, each with dialects that are sometimes treated as languages themselves:^{[2] [3]}

• Akanic (primarily in Ghana)
  • core Akan (Asante, Akuapem and Fante dialects)
  • Bono dialect
  • Wasa
• Bia (primarily in Ivory Coast and Western Ghana)
  • Northern Bia language
    • Anyin dialect
    • Baoulé dialect
    • Chakosi (Anufo) dialect
    • Sefwi (Sehwi) dialect
  • Southern Bia language
    • Nzema dialect
    • Ahanta dialect
    • Jwira–Pepesa dialect

All have written forms in the Latin script.

Notes and References

1. Book: Ameka. Felix K.. Dakubu. Mary Esther Kropp. Aspect and Modality in Kwa Languages. 2008. John Benjamins Publishing. 978-90-272-0567-4., p. 4
2. Stewart, John M. 1989. Kwa. In Bendor-Samuel, John (ed.), The Niger-Congo Languages, 216-245. University Press of America & SIL. p. 225.
3. Dolphyne, Florence Abena (1986) The languages of the Akan peoples. Research review. Vol. 2 No. 1, Pages 1-22https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5dz0640k University of Ghana. p. 15.