Volta–Congo languages

The Volta - Congo is by far the largest and most complex primary branch of the Niger - Congo represents the approximately 1250 Volta -Congo languages ​​are in Western, Central and Southern Africa spoken by about 320 million people. Among them are the Bantu languages ​​with over 200 million speakers.

North and South Volta - Congo

Volta - Congo consists of the two main branches of the North Volta - Congo with 280 languages ​​and 30 million speakers and the much larger Southern Volta - Congo (also Kwa- Benue - Congo ), with nearly a thousand languages ​​and about 300 million speakers, which also the Bantu languages ​​belong.

North Volta - Congo is divided into branches Kru, Gur, Senufo and Adamawa - Ubangi. The languages ​​of these branches are spoken in West Africa from Liberia to Cameroon. Named after its number of speakers about ten times as large south - Volta - Congo has the main units Kwa ( Western Kwa according to Greenberg) and Benue - Congo, which in turn in West Benue - Congo ( Greenberg's Eastern Kwa ) and East Benue - Congo ( Benue - Congo Greenberg) decays. Whether the Benue - Congo languages ​​as a whole - as is commonly believed since Greenberg and displayed in Bendor - Samuel 1989 - form a valid genetic unit is not yet clear.

The approximately 75 (Western) Kwa languages ​​are spoken by 21 million in the United States Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. West Benue - Congo (consisting of Yoruboid, Edoid, Igboid, Nupoid, Idomoid and smaller groups) is spoken in Togo, Benin and southern Nigeria (73 languages ​​with 48 million speakers ), East Benue - Congo has a total of about 800 languages ​​with 225 million speakers and is divided into the two main groups of Platoiden (including Kainji, plateau languages, Tarokoid, Jukunoid ) and Bantoiden Cross - languages. For Cross River has around 70 languages ​​with 6 million speakers, they are spoken in Southeast Nigeria and Cameroon. The Bantoiden languages ​​include all about 500 Bantu languages ​​, in addition some in Southern Nigeria and Cameroon groups spoken ( Jarawoide, Tivoide, Ekoide, Prairie and Others languages) that are closely related to the Bantu languages.

More details about the Volta - Congo and its subgroups are the following classification, the tabular overview ( languages ​​and numbers of speakers, geographical distribution ), and the articles on the sub-units of the Volta - Congo refer to.

Classification of the Volta - Congo

The classification of the Volta - Congo is based on Heine Nurse 2000:

  • Volta - Congo North Volta - Congo Kru
  • Gur ( Voltaic )
  • Senufo
  • Adamawa - Ubangi
  • Kwa
  • Benue - Congo West Benue - Congo Yoruboid
  • Edoid
  • Igboid
  • Nupoid
  • Idomoid
  • Platoid or central Nigerian Kainji
  • Plateau ( several genetic units)
  • Tarokoid
  • Jukunoid
  • Cross River
  • Bantoid North Bantoid Dakoid
  • Mambiloid
  • Jarawoid
  • Tivoid
  • Ekoid
  • Grassland
  • Bantu

It is evident that the large group of Bantu languages ​​is genetically within the Niger - Congo Volta - Congo only a sub-sub - unit.

The subgroups of the Volta - Congo

The following table lists the major subgroups of the Volta - Congo, the number of languages ​​and speakers, as well as the main distribution areas.

The designation X- oid denotes a main language X with its closely related sister languages ​​, for example Igboid is the group of directly related with the Igbo languages. In general, it is Dialektkontinua. Some researchers evaluate such groups as a single language.

Linguistic Features

Among the linguistic properties of the Volta -Congo languages, see the article Niger - Congo languages ​​and articles on the subunits.

Kru languages Gur languages Kainji languages Grassfields Bantu languages
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