Gonja language

---

title: "Gonja language" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["guang-languages", "languages-of-ghana"] description: "North Guang language of Ghana" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonja_language" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary North Guang language of Ghana ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox language"]

Field	Value
name	Gonja, Ngbanya, Ngbanyito
states	Ghana
region	Northern Ghana
ethnicity	Gonja people
speakers
date	2013
ref	e25
familycolor	Niger-Congo
fam2	Atlantic–Congo
fam3	Volta-Congo
fam4	Benue-Congo
fam5	Kwa
fam6	Potou–Tano
fam7	Tano
fam8	Guang
iso3	gjn
glotto	gonj1241
glottorefname	Gonja
::

|name=Gonja, Ngbanya, Ngbanyito |states=Ghana |region=Northern Ghana |ethnicity=Gonja people |speakers= |date=2013 |ref=e25 |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=Atlantic–Congo |fam3=Volta-Congo |fam4=Benue-Congo |fam5=Kwa |fam6=Potou–Tano |fam7=Tano |fam8=Guang |iso3=gjn |glotto=gonj1241 |glottorefname=Gonja

The Gonja language, properly called Ngbanya or Ngbanyito, is a North Guang language spoken by an estimated 230,000 people, almost all of whom are of the Gonja ethnic group of northern Ghana. Related to Guang languages in the south of Ghana, it is spoken by about a third of the population in the northern region. The Brong-Ahafo and Volta regions lie to the south of the Gonja-speaking area, while Dagombas, Mamprussis and Walas are to the north. Its dialects are Gonja and Choruba.

Alphabet

Vowels used are: a,e,i,o,ɔ,u,ɛ. Consonants include: ch , ŋm, ny, gb, kp, sh .

Pronouns

Personal pronouns as subject of the sentence:

::data[format=table]

singular	plural	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
ma	anye
fo	fo, minye
e, mu	bumu, baa
::

Names

::data[format=table] | Common Usage || Full name || Meaning | |---| | Achaŋso | | Atchulo | | Afiso | | Allela | | Amabaŋye | | Amankwa | | Amate | | Amo elema | | Amoma OR Allela | | Aso wura | | Ataawa | | Awale | | Awaare | | Awalekiye | | Awo n'nchɛ | | Awo n'nka nne | | Awo omoto OR Brakumu | | Awoshe | | Awoshie | | Badow | | Bakoaso | | Banemu ɛyɛ | | Bangben | | Benyepo ɛyɛ | | Bi awur'bi | | Bin'ka | | Bonyaŋso | | Booma | | Borɛ | | Borɛ chie | | Borɛ ena sa | | Borɛ enye | | Borɛ enyi-enchi | | Borɛ esa | | Borɛ masa alowe | | Borɛ walae | | Borɛ wɔ | | Borɛ wu | | B'sha anye | | Chepura | | Daa mato | | Dambatu | | Dari | | Dariche | | Dokilebi | | Ebanyepo | | Ebo ɛyɛ | | Edonbonɛ | | Edonkufo | | Ekomato | | Ekone oto | | Ekoso | | Ekumpo | | Ekunfo | | Elempo | | Esapɔ | | Esa ewɔ lanto / Esa ewoeboto | | Etimpo | | Ewanyɛ | | Ewale | | Ewonyɛ | | Ewunio | | Ewuntomah | | Ewura | | Eyri modon | | Foto | | Gbeadese | | Gyem che | | Gyɛma alela | | Jinapor | | Gyeowo | | Kakore | | Kanagboŋ | | Kanamo | | Kananmaluwe | | Kasha | | Keche e-basa | | Kenyiti | | Keshie eko | | K'fantaŋ | | Kginginfra | | Koji | | Kowuribi | | Kramoase | | Kurabaso | | Kurayerito | | Lempoche | | Lomashie | | Longefiye | | Longesai | | Maaman | | Mankpa | | Mankre | | Mantenso | | Mapoche | | Masa-agben | | Masape | | Matuamo | | Nefa | | Njo amonchɛ | | Nkpamafo | | Nndefeso | | Ntoba | | Obosu | | Okonfo | | Owoshie | | Pumaya | | Safo | | Samafon | | Shuŋ nkpa | | Techira | | Titi aka | | Yɔmba | ::

References

• Colin Painter, Gonja: a phonological and grammatical study, Indiana University, 1970

References

1. Mary E. Kropp Dakubu (ed.), ''The Languages of Ghana'', page 77
2. ''Language Guide (Gonja Version)''. Bureau of Ghana Languages, Accra, 1977-1988.
3. Kropp Dakubu, M.E. (editor), ''The Languages of Ghana''. Kegan Paul International, London, for the International African Institute. 1988.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::