Niger–Congo languages

E8177

The Niger–Congo languages form one of the world’s largest language families, encompassing hundreds of related languages spoken across much of sub-Saharan Africa, including major groups like Bantu.

All labels observed (18)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (80)

Predicate Object
instanceOf language family
macrofamily
approximateNumberOfSpeakers over 700 million
continent Africa
estimatedNumberOfLanguages over 1500
glottologCode nige1235
hasAlternativeName Niger–Kordofanian languages
hasWritingSystem Arabic script
Latin alphabet
surface form: Latin script
includesLanguage Akan
Bambara
Chichewa
Ewe
Fula
Igbo
Kikuyu
Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Lingala
Luganda
Sesotho
Setswana
Shona
Swahili language
surface form: Swahili

Wolof
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu
isOneOfLargestLanguageFamilies true
majorSubgroup Adamawa–Ubangi languages
Niger–Congo languages self-linksurface differs
surface form: Atlantic–Congo languages

Bantu languages
Benue–Congo languages
Gur languages
Kordofanian languages
Kwa languages
Mande languages
morphologyFeature noun class system
primaryRegion Sub-Saharan Africa
surface form: sub-Saharan Africa
spokenIn Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde Islands
surface form: Cape Verde

Central African Republic
Chad
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Côte d'Ivoire
surface form: Ivory Coast

Kenya
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Republic of the Congo
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
São Tomé and Príncipe
Tanzania
The Gambia
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
typology mostly SVO word order
mostly tonal languages

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (823)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Fon people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Embu people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Maninka subclassOf Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo language
tso hasLanguageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo languages
Chamba languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Ashanti people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Jukun languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Mumuye languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo languages
Kuteb languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Igede languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
subject surface form: Igede language
Igboid partOf Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo language family
Echie language family Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Echie language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Ikwerre Igbo languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo languages
Ikwere languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
subject surface form: Ikwerre language
Ikwerre people of Rivers State languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
subject surface form: Ikwerre people
Luvale people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Makhuwa people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Igala people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Mumuye people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Central Cameroon hasLanguageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Kolo partOf Niger–Congo languages
Eton language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo language family
Manguissa language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Ambundu people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Swazi language languageBranch Niger–Congo languages
Qua people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Benga language family Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Playeros historicalLanguageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Gbagyi people languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Yelinda languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Beti-Fang cluster partOf Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo language family
Beti–Pahuin languages subclassOf Niger–Congo languages
Beti–Pahuin languages languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo
Yembana languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Kalabari language isPartOf Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo language family
Nembe language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo
Okrika language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
Izon language family Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo
Izon language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo
Bille language family Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Bille language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Akassa language family Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo
Akassa language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger–Congo
Kugbo language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo languages
Kolokuma language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Opokuma language family Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Opokuma language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo
Gbarain language subfamilyOf Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo languages
Gbarain language languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
this entity surface form: Niger-Congo