Likpe language
{{Short description|Kwa language spoken in Ghana}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Likpe
|altname=Sekpele
|nativename={{lang|lip|Sεkpεlé}}
|states=Ghana
|region=Oti Region, north of Hohoe
|speakers={{sigfig|23400|2}}
|date=2003
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=Atlantic–Congo
|fam3=Kwa
|fam4=Na-Togo
|fam5=Lelemi
|iso3=lip
|glotto=sekp1241
|glottorefname=Sekpele
}}
{{Infobox ethnonym|Ɔkpεlé|Bakpεlé|Sεkpεlé||Likpe}}
Likpe or Sekpele (also Bosele, Mu) is spoken in the mountainous lower part of the Oti Region of Ghana. It belongs to the geographic group of Ghana–Togo Mountain languages (traditionally called the {{lang|de|Togorestsprachen}} or Togo Remnant languages) of the Kwa branch of Niger–Congo.
Phonology
=Consonants=
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+Consonants{{sfn|Allen|1980|p=LIK 5}} ! colspan=2| !! Labial !! Alveolar !! Palatal !! Velar !! Labial- | |
| rowspan=2|Plosive/ Affricate | voiceless
| {{IPAlink|p}} || {{IPAlink|t}} || {{IPAlink|tʃ}} || {{IPAlink|k}} || {{IPAlink|kp}} || {{IPAlink|ʔ}} |
|---|---|
| voiced
| {{IPAlink|b}} || {{IPAlink|d}} || {{IPAlink|dʒ}} || {{IPAlink|g}} || {{IPAlink|gb}} || | |
| colspan=2|Fricative
| {{IPAlink|f}} || {{IPAlink|s}} || {{IPAlink|ʃ}} || || || | |
| colspan=2|Nasal
| {{IPAlink|m}} || {{IPAlink|n}} || {{IPAlink|ɲ}} || {{IPAlink|ŋ}} || || | |
| colspan=2|Approximant
| || {{IPAlink|l}} || {{IPAlink|j}} || || {{IPAlink|w}} || |
- {{IPAslink|p}} and {{IPAslink|g}} are rare.{{sfn|Allen|1980|p=LIK 5}}
- Clusters include {{grapheme|Cl}}, {{grapheme|Cw}}, and {{grapheme|Cy}}.{{sfn|Allen|1980|p=LIK 5}}
=Vowels=
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+Oral vowels{{sfn|Allen|1980|p=LIK 5}} ! rowspan=2| !!colspan=2|Front !! rowspan=2|Central !! rowspan=2|Back | |
| [-round] | [+round] |
|---|---|
| Close
| {{IPAlink|i}} || || || {{IPAlink|u}} | |
| Close-mid
| {{IPAlink|e}} || || || {{IPAlink|o}} | |
| Open-mid
| {{IPAlink|ɛ}} || {{IPAlink|œ}} || || {{IPAlink|ɔ}} | |
| Open
| || || {{IPAlink|a}} || |
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+Nasal vowels{{sfn|Allen|1980|p=LIK 5}} |
| Close
| {{IPAlink|ĩ}} || || {{IPAlink|ũ}} |
|---|
| Close-mid
| || || {{IPAlink|õ}} |
| Open-mid
| || || {{IPAlink|ɔ̃}} |
| Open
| || {{IPAlink|ã}} || |
=Tones=
Likpe has three tones: high, low, and mid.{{sfn|Allen|1980|p=LIK 1}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
- {{cite book |chapter=Likpe |first=Edward Jay |last=Allen |title=West African Language Data Sheets |volume=2 |editor-first=M. E. |editor-last=Kropp Dakubu |year=1980 |publisher=West African Linguistic Society |pages=LIK 1-LIK 6}}
Further reading
- {{cite journal |first=Kevin C. |last=Ford |title=On the loss of cross-height vowel harmony |journal=Research Review (Institute of African Studies, Legon, Ghana) |volume=Supplement 4 |year=1973}}
- {{cite book |first=Bernd |last=Heine |author-link=Bernd Heine |title=Verbreitung und Gliederung der Togo-Restsprachen |publisher=Reimer |location=Berlin |year=1968 |lang=de}}
- {{cite book |first=Peter |last=Ladefoged |author-link=Peter Ladefoged |title=A Phonetic Study of West African Languages |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=London |year=1964 |oclc=1801799}}
External links
- ELAR archive of [http://elar.soas.ac.uk/deposit/0323 Description and Documentation of Sekpele]
{{Languages of Ghana}}
{{Kwa languages}}
Category:Ghana–Togo Mountain languages
{{kwa-lang-stub}}