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Ewe

Eʋe

Ewe is an Atlantic-Congo language spoken in Ghana and Togo, by about 3 million people.

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Ewe · 6.5°N 0.8°E

Ewe (endonym: Eʋe or Eʋegbe [ɛβɛɡ͡bɛ]) is a language spoken by approximately 5 million people in West Africa, mainly in Ghana and Togo. Ewe is part of a group of related languages commonly called the Gbe languages. The other major Gbe language is Fon, which is mainly spoken in Benin. Like many African languages, Ewe is tonal as well as a possible member of the Niger-Congo family.

The German Africanist Diedrich Hermann Westermann published many dictionaries and grammars of Ewe and several other Gbe languages. Other linguists who have worked on Ewe and closely related languages include Gilbert Ansre (tone, syntax), Herbert Stahlke (morphology, tone), Nick Clements (tone, syntax), Roberto Pazzi (anthropology, lexicography), Felix K. Ameka (semantics, cognitive linguistics), Alan Stewart Duthie (semantics, phonetics), Hounkpati B. Capo (phonology, phonetics), Enoch Aboh (syntax), and Chris Collins (syntax).

From Wikipedia · Ewe language · CC BY-SA 4.0

Written down

Wodzi amegbetɔwo katã ablɔɖeviwoe eye wodzena bubu kple gomekpɔkpɔ sɔsɔe. Susu kple dzitsinya le wo dometɔ ɖesiaɖe si eyata wodze be woanɔ anyi le ɖekawɔwɔ blibo me.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR in Unicode).

Words in Ewe

MeaningWordRomanization
fatherfofo
childvi
manŋutsu
womannyɔ́nu
friendvelia
eyeŋku
eartó
tongueaɖe
handasi
heartdzi
headta
bloodʋu
breastno
watertsi
starɣletivi
raintsidzadza
windaya
mountainto
riveretɔ
seaatsiaƒu
treeatí
leafaŋgba
nightzã
dogavu
catdadi
birdxevi
horsesɔ
threeetɔ̃
fiveatɔ̃
Inye

Most similar languages

Vocabulary

  • AdangbeAtlantic-Congo61% alike
  • WuduAtlantic-Congo56% alike
  • GenAtlantic-Congo54% alike
  • Aja (Benin)Atlantic-Congo47% alike
  • GunAtlantic-Congo42% alike
  • FonAtlantic-Congo41% alike

Grammar

  • JibaAtlantic-Congo88% alike
  • YakomaAtlantic-Congo87% alike
  • GebeAustronesian87% alike
  • MonAustroasiatic85% alike
  • BagirmiCentral Sudanic85% alike
  • MansimHatam-Mansim84% alike

Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.

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Glottolog · ewee1241 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · ewe