160:
248:
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
296:
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
253:
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
368:
Stewart, John M. (1985) 'Nasality patterns in the Volta–Congo foot.' Paper presented at the
Colloquium on African Linguistics, Leiden, Sept. 1985.
393:
388:
339:
302:
221:, 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
258:
175:
50:
282:
230:
226:
95:
90:
45:
110:
233:) are near the bottom. If the Kwa or Savannas branches prove to be invalid, the tree will be even more crowded.
164:
The Volta–Congo languages shown within the Niger–Congo language family. Non-Volta–Congo languages are greyscale.
159:
241:
245:
213:
In the infobox at the right, the languages which appear to be the most divergent (including the dubious
183:
314:
199:
371:
Williamson, Kay & Blench, Roger (2000) 'Niger–Congo', in Heine, Bernd and Nurse, Derek (eds)
266:
262:
179:
178:. It includes all the Niger-Congo languages and subfamilies except the families of the erstwhile
77:
301:
and that this set has been reduced to a seven vowel-system in many Volta–Congo languages. The
250:
274:
214:
207:
72:
319:
286:
191:
187:
100:
39:
363:
Towards Volta–Congo reconstruction: a comparative study of some languages of Black-Africa
195:
130:
293:), and the eastern and western branches of Benue–Congo to each other, remain obscure.
150:
382:
298:
278:
270:
254:
222:
218:
203:
117:
85:
135:
32:
354:
Casali, Roderic F. (1995) 'On the
Reduction of Vowel Systems in Volta–Congo',
244:
research by John M. Stewart in the sixties and seventies helped establish the
305:
are examples of languages where nine- or ten-vowel systems are still found.
144:
365:. (Inaugural speech, Leiden University) Leiden: Universitaire Pers Leiden.
202:
in that it excludes the
Atlantic languages and, in some conceptions,
285:, which includes the well-known and particularly numerous
375:
289:
group. The relationship of Kwa to Benue–Congo (named
143:
65:
38:
26:
21:
8:
16:Major branch of the Atlantic–Congo languages
373:African Languages — An Introduction.
331:
18:
64:
7:
14:
340:Niger-Congo: an alternative view
158:
356:African Languages and Cultures
1:
303:Ghana–Togo Mountain languages
198:. It thus only differs from
265:are now linked together as
410:
174:is a major branch of the
157:
40:Linguistic classification
394:Atlantic–Congo languages
361:Stewart, John M. (1976)
259:Adamawa–Ubangi languages
242:Comparative linguistic
389:Volta–Congo languages
358:, 8, 2, Dec, 109–121.
269:. Other branches are
176:Atlantic–Congo family
315:Languages of Africa
261:, which apart from
81:(aka Gur-Adamawa)
251:dialect continuum
169:
168:
127:
104:
82:
401:
342:
336:
162:
153:
121:
98:
80:
19:
409:
408:
404:
403:
402:
400:
399:
398:
379:
378:
351:
346:
345:
337:
333:
328:
320:Language family
311:
239:
165:
149:
101:Bantu languages
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
407:
405:
397:
396:
391:
381:
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376:
369:
366:
359:
350:
347:
344:
343:
338:Roger Blench,
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329:
327:
324:
323:
322:
317:
310:
307:
238:
237:Classification
235:
200:Atlantic–Congo
167:
166:
163:
155:
154:
147:
141:
140:
139:
138:
133:
128:
122:(also spelled
114:
106:
105:
93:
88:
83:
75:
67:
63:
62:
61:
60:
59:
58:
51:Atlantic–Congo
42:
36:
35:
30:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
406:
395:
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384:
374:
370:
367:
364:
360:
357:
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348:
341:
335:
332:
325:
321:
318:
316:
313:
312:
308:
306:
304:
300:
299:vowel harmony
294:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
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260:
256:
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236:
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68:
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43:
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37:
34:
31:
25:
20:
372:
362:
355:
334:
295:
290:
240:
212:
171:
170:
123:
116:
109:
66:Subdivisions
55:
29:distribution
283:Benue–Congo
231:Benue–Congo
227:Volta–Niger
184:Kordofanian
172:Volta–Congo
96:Benue–Congo
91:Volta–Niger
56:Volta–Congo
46:Niger–Congo
33:West Africa
22:Volta–Congo
383:Categories
349:References
186:branches,
99:(includes
27:Geographic
326:Footnotes
291:Benue–Kwa
145:Glottolog
309:See also
267:Savannas
263:Ubangian
180:Atlantic
151:volt1241
78:Savannas
246:genetic
281:, and
275:Senufo
215:Senufo
208:Senufo
194:, and
73:Senufo
287:Bantu
192:Dogon
188:Mande
131:Ukaan
257:and
229:and
217:and
206:and
182:and
118:Mbre
111:Fali
279:Kwa
271:Kru
255:Gur
223:Kwa
219:Kru
210:.
204:Kru
196:Ijo
136:Ega
124:Pre
86:Kwa
385::
277:,
273:,
225:,
190:,
71:?
44:?
126:)
103:)
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