Kpɛlɛɛ
Kpelle
Niger-Congo (Mande)
Kpelle (Kpɛlɛɛ) is a Southwestern Mande language cluster spoken by roughly 750,000 people in Liberia and adjacent Guinea, where the Guinean variety is also known as Guerzé. Modern classifications distinguish Liberia Kpelle and Guinea Kpelle, which have separate ISO 639-3 codes, while the umbrella label Kpelle covers both. The language is tonal and is now written mainly in Latin-based orthographies. In the 1930s Chief Gbili of Sanoyea, Bong County, devised an indigenous Kpelle syllabary, used for correspondence, accounts, debts, and other records; its use later declined and it has not yet been encoded in Unicode.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Kpelle
Sources
- Kpelle Bible "Ŋ̀âla Kɔlɔ Maa Waai" (KWB), bible.com version 1479 (filed under xpe, Liberian Kpelle); ASJP KPELLE, KPELLE_LIBERIA (confirmation); Kpelle: A Reference Handbook (Peace Corps, ERIC ED217690) for 'mother'
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Niger-Congo (Mande)
| Meaning | Kpelle | Mende | Vai | Mandinka | Mano | Munsee | Dyula |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ya /ja/ | njei /ndʒei/ | ꕀ /dʒi/ | jiyo /dʒijo/ | yi /ji/ | mpíi /mbiː/ | ji /dʒi/ |
| Fire | ŋɔŋ /ŋɔŋ/ | ngɔmbu /ŋɡɔmbu/ | ꕚ /ta/ | dimbaa /dimbaː/ | tíé /ti˥e˥/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | tasuma /tasuma/ |
| Sun | fólo /fólo/ | folo /folo/ | ꔎꔒ /tele/ | tiloo /tiloː/ | ɲɛ́nɛ́ /ɲɛ˥nɛ˥/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | tile /tile/ |
| Moon | ɣáloŋ /ɣáloŋ/ | ngalu /ŋɡalu/ | ꕪꖃ /kalo/ | karoo /karoː/ | lɔ /lɔ/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ | kalo /kalo/ |
| Star | pɛmɛlɛŋ-kao /pɛmɛlɛŋ kao/ | tumbeka /tumbeka/ | ꗋꗏ /tólò/ | looloo /loːloː/ | sĩ̄ã́ŋēlè /sĩ̄ã́ŋēlè/ | alaánkw /alaːŋkʷ/ | lolo /lolo/ |
| Night | kpini /kpini/ | kpindi /kpindi/ | lifi /lifi/ | suutoo /suːtoː/ | gbeŋ /ɡbeŋ/ | piskeew /piskeːw/ | su /su/ |
| Rain | túna /túna/ | — | suna /suna/ | sanjiyo /sandʒijo/ | dɛ /dɛ/ | — | sanji /ˈsandʒi/ |
| Wind | fãa /fãː/ | fɛfɛ /fɛfɛ/ | ꔱꕩ /fija/ | foño /foɲo/ | fã̀ã̀ /fã̀ː/ | — | fɔɲɔ /fɔɲɔ/ |
| Earth | lɔii /lɔiː/ | — | — | bankoo /baŋkoː/ | sɛ́lɛ́ /sɛ́lɛ́/ | — | dugukolo /duɡukolo/ |
| Stone | kɔni /kɔni/ | kɔtu /kɔtu/ | ꔖꘋ /sɛŋ/ | beroo /beroː/ | gɛ̀lɛ̀ /ɡɛ̀lɛ̀/ | asun /əsən/ | kabakuru /kabakuru/ |
| Sea | yuo /juo/ | — | ꗛꔤ /koi/ | fankaasoo /faŋkaːsoː/ | mɛ̀ĩ́ /mɛ̀ĩ́/ | — | kɔgɔji /kɔɡɔdʒi/ |
| Mother | nee /neː/ | nje /ndʒe/ | ꕒ /ɓa/ | baa /baː/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ | nkáhees /ŋkaheːs/ | ba /ba/ |
| Father | nâŋ /nâŋ/ | kɛkɛ /kɛkɛ/ | ꕘ /fa/ | faa /faː/ | de /de/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ | fa /fa/ |
| Daughter | lóŋ-nɛni /lóŋ nɛni/ | nyahalo /ɲahalo/ | ꔔꘋ ꖷꖬꕮ /dɛ̃ musuma/ | dimmusoo /dimːusoː/ | lú /lú/ | — | denmuso /denmuso/ |
| I | ńyãa /ńjãː/ | nya /ɲá/ | ꘋ /ŋ̀/ | nte /nte/ | mā /ma˧/ | nii /niː/ | n /ŋ́/ |
| You | í /í/ | bi /bí/ | ꔤ /ì/ | ite /ite/ | ī /ī/ | kii /kiː/ | i /í/ |
| We | kú /kú/ | mu /mu/ | ꖷ /mù/ | ntolu /ntolu/ | kō /ko˧/ | kiilóona / niilóona /kiːloːna / niːloːna/ | an /án/ |
| Name | lâa /lâː/ | laa /láá/ | ꕿꘌ /tɔ́ː/ | too /toː/ | tɔ́ /tɔ́/ | wiinzuwaakan /wiːnzuwaːkan/ | tɔgɔ /tɔ́ɡɔ/ |
| Person | nuu /nuː/ | numu /numu/ | ꗞ /mo/ | moo /moː/ | mī /mi˧/ | — | mɔgɔ /mɔ̀ɡɔ/ |
| Eye | ŋɛ /ŋɛ/ | ngama /ŋɡama/ | ꕰ /ɲa/ | ñaa /ɲaː/ | mi /mi/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | ɲɛ /ɲɛ/ |
| Tooth | nyiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | ngongou /ŋɡoŋɡou/ | ɲiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | ñiŋo /ɲiŋo/ | sɔ /sɔ/ | nipit /nipit/ | ɲin /ɲĩ/ |
| Tongue | nɛŋ /nɛŋ/ | nɛi /nɛi/ | nɛ /nɛ/ | neŋo /neŋo/ | nana /nana/ | wilanew /wilanew/ | nɛn /nɛn/ |
| Hand | yee /jeː/ | loko /loko/ | ꗃꗏ /ɓolo/ | buloo /buloː/ | kɔ̀ /kɔ˩/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ | bolo /bolo/ |
| Foot | kɔɔ /kɔː/ | kɔwɔ /kɔwɔ/ | ꔞꘋ /keŋ/ | siŋo /siŋo/ | gà̰ /ɡã˩/ | nzíit /nziːt/ | sen /sen/ |
| Heart | lii /liː/ | lii /liː/ | ꔖꕇ /sɛni/ | sondomoo /sondomoː/ | zò /zo˩/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | dusu /dusu/ |
| Bone | kau /kau/ | kala /kala/ | kuru /kuru/ | kuloo /kuloː/ | wɛlɛ /wɛlɛ/ | wakan /wakan/ | kolo /kolo/ |
| Blood | ŋãa /ŋãː/ | ŋama /ŋama/ | wuli /wuli/ | yeloo /jeloː/ | bai /baí/ | mokw /mokʷ/ | joli /dʒoli/ |
| Love | wɛli /wɛli/ | ndolo /ndolo/ | ꔷꕩ /lija/ | kanu /kanu/ | ŋalo /ŋalo/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | kanu /kanu/ |
| Tree | wúru /wúru/ | ngulu /ŋɡulu/ | ꗛꘋ /kɔŋ/ | yiroo /jiroː/ | yílí /ji˥li˥/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | yiri /jiri/ |
| Dog | nyila /ɲila/ | ngila /ŋɡila/ | ꖙꖨ /wulu/ | wuloo /wuloː/ | gbá̰ /ɡbã˥/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | wulu /wulu/ |
| Cat | nyàle /ɲàle/ | gɔngɔ /ɡɔŋɡɔ/ | ꖷꖬ /musu/ | ñankuma /ɲankuma/ | poso /poso/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | jakuma /dʒakuma/ |
| Fish | nyɛ̃ɛ /ɲɛ̃ː/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | nyɛ /ɲɛ/ | ñewo /ɲewo/ | gba /ɡba/ | names /names/ | jɛgɛ /dʒɛɡɛ/ |
| Horse | soo /soː/ | so /so/ | ꖇ /sɔ/ | suwoo /suwoː/ | sòo /sòː/ | — | so /so/ |
| House | pɛ́rɛ /pɛ́rɛ/ | pɛlɛ /pɛlɛ/ | ꖴꖕ /kuu/ | buŋo /buŋo/ | kpɛ /kpɛ/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | so /so/ |
| Milk | ŋíni-ya /ŋíni ja/ | nyiniya /ɲinija/ | ꖬꖬ /susu/ | nonoo /nonoː/ | nyɔ́-yíí /ɲɔ́jíː/ | — | nɔnɔ /nɔnɔ/ |
| Honey | kwɛ̃ŋ-wulɔ /kwɛ̃ŋ wulɔ/ | kɔmi /kɔmi/ | ꖴꖷ /kumu/ | liyo /lijo/ | zɔ́ɔ́ nyɔ́nɔ́ /zɔ́ː ɲɔ́nɔ́/ | — | li /li/ |
| Salt | kpolo /kpolo/ | kpolo /kpolo/ | ꖏ /kɔ/ | koo /koː/ | wèĩ /wèĩ/ | shíiwang /ʃiːwaŋ/ | kɔgɔ /kɔɡɔ/ |
| Rice | moloŋ /moloŋ/ | — | — | maanoo /maːnoː/ | ɓū /ɓu˧/ | — | malo /malo/ |
| Iron | kɔli /kɔli/ | kɔlu /kɔlu/ | ꖴꖫ /kundu/ | nee /neː/ | pɛkulu /pɛkulu/ | — | nɛgɛ /nɛɡɛ/ |
| Book | kɔlɔ /kɔlɔ/ | kɔlɔ /kɔlɔ/ | ꕺꖃ /kpɔlɔ/ | kitaaboo /kitaːboː/ | kii /kiː/ | — | gafe /ɡafe/ |
| Eat | mii /miː/ | mɛ /mɛ/ | ꗏꘋ /lɔŋ/ | domo /domo/ | mɛ /mɛ/ | mit /mit/ | dun /dun/ |
| Drink | kpele /kpele/ | kpɔle /kpɔle/ | ꕆ /mi/ | miŋ /miŋ/ | mi /mi/ | mneew /mneew/ | min /min/ |
| Sleep | nyii /ɲiː/ | — | ꕃ /ki/ | siinoo /siːnoː/ | yī zɛ̄ /ji˧ zɛ˧/ | — | sunɔgɔ /sunɔɡɔ/ |
| One | tɔnɔ /tɔnɔ/ | yila /jila/ | ꗏꗒ /lɔnɗɔ/ | kiliŋ /kiliŋ/ | do /do/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | kelen /kelen/ |
| Two | feerɛ /feːrɛ/ | fele /félé/ | ꗱꘌꕟ /fèːrà/ | fula /fula/ | plɛ̀ɛ̀ /plɛː˩/ | niisha /niːʃa/ | fila /fìla/ |
| Three | saaƃa /saːɓa/ | sawa /sawa/ | ꕢꕔ /sakpa/ | saba /saba/ | yaaka /jaːka/ | nxáh /nxaːh/ | saba /saba/ |
| Four | náaŋ /náːŋ/ | naani /naːni/ | naani /naːni/ | naani /naːni/ | yiisɛ /jiːsɛ/ | néewa /neːwa/ | naani /naːni/ |
| Five | lɔ́ɔlu /lɔ́ːlu/ | lɔɔlu /lɔːlu/ | sóólu /soːlu/ | luulu /luːlu/ | sɔ́ɔ́li /sɔ́ːli/ | náalan /naːlan/ | duuru /dúːru/ |
| Hundred | ŋuŋ /ŋuŋ/ | hɔndɔ /hɔndɔ/ | ꖽꗒ /hɔnɗɔ/ | keme /keme/ | wũ /wũ/ | nkwətaːpóxkə /nkwətaːpoxkə/ | kɛmɛ /kɛ̀mɛ́/ |
| Hello | halee /haleː/ | bua /bua/ | ꘋꕯ ꖬꕎ ꘃꗡ ꗪ ꔤ ꕮ /ŋna suwa kɛɛ ɓɛ i ma/ | salaam /salaːm/ | ye /je/ | hé /heː/ | i ni sɔgɔma /i ni sɔɡɔma/ |
| Thank you | balika /balika/ | bisɛ /bisɛ/ | ꔤ ꕒꔤꕪ /i ɓaika/ | abaraka /abaraka/ | nyɛŋ /ɲɛŋ/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | i ni ce /i ni tʃe/ |
| Good | lɛ́lɛɛ /lɛ́lɛː/ | nyande /ɲande/ | ꕈ /ɲi/ | beteyaa /betejaː/ | kɛlɛ /kɛlɛ/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ | ɲuman /ɲuman/ |
| New | nina /nina/ | nina /nina/ | ꕯꕮ /nama/ | kuta /kuta/ | dɛɛ /dɛː/ | — | kura /kura/ |
| Red | kpɔlu /kpɔlu/ | kpɔlu /kpɔlu/ | kpou /kpou/ | wuleŋ /wuleŋ/ | gbɛlɛ /ɡbɛlɛ/ | maxkeew /maxkeːw/ | bilen /bilen/ |
| White | kole /kole/ | kɔlɛ /kɔlɛ/ | ꗬ /kpɛ/ | koyi /koji/ | púlú /púlú/ | waapeew /waːpeːw/ | gwɛ /ɡwɛ/ |
| Black | tɛi /tɛi/ | tɛli /tɛli/ | ꔱꘋ /fiŋ/ | fiŋ /fiŋ/ | tii /tiː/ | — | fin /fin/ |
| Blue | buluŋ /buluŋ/ | bulu /bulu/ | dsiron /dʒiron/ | buluuriŋo /buluːriŋo/ | ɓūléèzɛ̀ /ɓu˧le˥e˩zɛ˩/ | — | bulaman /bulaman/ |
| Coffee | kofe /kofe/ | — | — | — | káfé /ka˥fe˥/ | — | kafe /kafe/ |
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