171:
259:
unity of Volta–Congo 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 Volta–Congo and suggest that this might indicate the diversification of a
307:
The vowel systems of Volta–Congo languages have been the subject of much historical comparative linguistic debate. Casali (1995) defends the hypothesis that Proto-Volta–Congo had a nine- or ten-vowel system employing
264:
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
379:
Stewart, John M. (1985) 'Nasality patterns in the Volta–Congo foot.' Paper presented at the
Colloquium on African Linguistics, Leiden, Sept. 1985.
404:
399:
350:
313:
232:, which may not be Volta–Congo at all) are placed at the top, whereas those closer to the core (the similar "Benue–Kwa" branches of
269:
186:
61:
293:
241:
237:
106:
101:
56:
121:
244:) are near the bottom. If the Kwa or Savannas branches prove to be invalid, the tree will be even more crowded.
175:
The Volta–Congo languages shown within the Niger–Congo language family. Non-Volta–Congo languages are greyscale.
170:
252:
256:
224:
In the infobox at the right, the languages which appear to be the most divergent (including the dubious
194:
325:
210:
382:
Williamson, Kay & Blench, Roger (2000) 'Niger–Congo', in Heine, Bernd and Nurse, Derek (eds)
277:
273:
190:
189:. It includes all the Niger-Congo languages and subfamilies except the families of the erstwhile
88:
312:
and that this set has been reduced to a seven vowel-system in many Volta–Congo languages. The
261:
285:
225:
218:
83:
330:
297:
202:
198:
111:
50:
374:
Towards Volta–Congo reconstruction: a comparative study of some languages of Black-Africa
206:
141:
304:), and the eastern and western branches of Benue–Congo to each other, remain obscure.
161:
393:
309:
289:
281:
265:
233:
229:
214:
128:
96:
146:
43:
365:
Casali, Roderic F. (1995) 'On the
Reduction of Vowel Systems in Volta–Congo',
255:
research by John M. Stewart in the sixties and seventies helped establish the
316:
are examples of languages where nine- or ten-vowel systems are still found.
155:
17:
376:. (Inaugural speech, Leiden University) Leiden: Universitaire Pers Leiden.
213:
in that it excludes the
Atlantic languages and, in some conceptions,
296:, which includes the well-known and particularly numerous
386:
300:
group. The relationship of Kwa to Benue–Congo (named
154:
76:
49:
37:
32:
8:
27:Major branch of the Atlantic–Congo languages
384:African Languages — An Introduction.
342:
29:
75:
7:
25:
351:Niger-Congo: an alternative view
169:
367:African Languages and Cultures
1:
314:Ghana–Togo Mountain languages
209:. It thus only differs from
276:are now linked together as
421:
185:is a major branch of the
168:
51:Linguistic classification
405:Atlantic–Congo languages
372:Stewart, John M. (1976)
270:Adamawa–Ubangi languages
253:Comparative linguistic
400:Volta–Congo languages
369:, 8, 2, Dec, 109–121.
280:. Other branches are
187:Atlantic–Congo family
326:Languages of Africa
272:, which apart from
92:(aka Gur-Adamawa)
262:dialect continuum
180:
179:
138:
115:
93:
16:(Redirected from
412:
353:
347:
173:
164:
132:
109:
91:
30:
21:
420:
419:
415:
414:
413:
411:
410:
409:
390:
389:
362:
357:
356:
348:
344:
339:
331:Language family
322:
250:
176:
160:
112:Bantu languages
39:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
418:
416:
408:
407:
402:
392:
391:
388:
387:
380:
377:
370:
361:
358:
355:
354:
349:Roger Blench,
341:
340:
338:
335:
334:
333:
328:
321:
318:
249:
248:Classification
246:
211:Atlantic–Congo
178:
177:
174:
166:
165:
158:
152:
151:
150:
149:
144:
139:
133:(also spelled
125:
117:
116:
104:
99:
94:
86:
78:
74:
73:
72:
71:
70:
69:
62:Atlantic–Congo
53:
47:
46:
41:
35:
34:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
417:
406:
403:
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398:
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381:
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371:
368:
364:
363:
359:
352:
346:
343:
336:
332:
329:
327:
324:
323:
319:
317:
315:
311:
310:vowel harmony
305:
303:
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295:
291:
287:
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279:
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267:
263:
258:
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247:
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45:
42:
36:
31:
19:
383:
373:
366:
345:
306:
301:
251:
223:
182:
181:
134:
127:
120:
77:Subdivisions
66:
40:distribution
294:Benue–Congo
242:Benue–Congo
238:Volta–Niger
195:Kordofanian
183:Volta–Congo
107:Benue–Congo
102:Volta–Niger
67:Volta–Congo
57:Niger–Congo
44:West Africa
33:Volta–Congo
18:Volta–Congo
394:Categories
360:References
197:branches,
110:(includes
38:Geographic
337:Footnotes
302:Benue–Kwa
156:Glottolog
320:See also
278:Savannas
274:Ubangian
191:Atlantic
162:volt1241
89:Savannas
257:genetic
292:, and
286:Senufo
226:Senufo
219:Senufo
205:, and
84:Senufo
298:Bantu
203:Dogon
199:Mande
142:Ukaan
268:and
240:and
228:and
217:and
193:and
129:Mbre
122:Fali
290:Kwa
282:Kru
266:Gur
234:Kwa
230:Kru
221:.
215:Kru
207:Ijo
147:Ega
135:Pre
97:Kwa
396::
288:,
284:,
236:,
201:,
82:?
55:?
137:)
114:)
20:)
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