Dagaare language

Dagaare is the maternal language of the Dagaaba people in Ghana and Burkina Faso. It has been described as a dialect continuum that also includes Waale and Birifor.

Dagaare
Native toGhana, Burkina Faso
EthnicityDagaaba people
Native speakers
1.1 million (2001–2003)[1]
Niger–Congo
Latin (Dagaare alphabet)
Dagaare Braille
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
dga – Southern Dagaare
dgd – Dagaari Dioula
dgi – Northern Dagara
Glottologsout2789  Central Dagaare
daga1272  Dagaari Dioula
nort2780  Northern Dagara
Majority areas of Northern Dagara speakers, in red, on a map of Burkina Faso.

Ethnologue divides Dagaare into three languages:

  • Southern/Central Dagaare language, which is spoken mainly in Ghana
  • Northern Dagara language, which is spoken mainly in Burkina Faso
  • Dagaari Dioula, which is spoken mainly in Burkina Faso, and has significant influence from the genetically unrelated Dioula language

Phonology

The consonant and vowel sounds in the Dagaare languages:

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i u
ɪ ʊ
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

Consonants
Bilabial Labio-
dental		 Alveolar Post-
Alveolar		 Palatal Labio-
velar		 Velar Glottal
Stop voiceless p t k ʔ
voiced b d ɡ
Affricate voiceless t͡ɕ k͡p
voiced d͡ʑ ɡ͡b
Fricative voiceless f s h
voiced v z
implosive ʼh
Nasal plain m n ɲ ŋ͡m ŋ
implosive ʼm
Lateral plain l
implosive ʼl
Approximant j w

Allophones of /d, ɡ/ include [r, ɣ].[2]

References
  1. Southern Dagaare at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    Dagaari Dioula at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    Northern Dagara at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Bodomo, Adams (1997). The Structure of Dagaare. Stanford University.


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