Sehwi language

{{Short description|Ghanaian language}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Sefwi

| nativename = Esahie

| region = Ghana

| ethnicity = Sefwi people

| speakers = {{sigfig|305,000|2}}

| date = 2013

| ref = e22

| familycolor = Niger-Congo

| fam2 = Atlantic–Congo

| fam3 = Kwa

| fam4 = Potou–Tano

| fam5 = Tano

| fam6 = Central Tano (Akan)

| fam7 = Bia

| fam8 = North

| iso3 = sfw

| glotto = sehw1238

| glottorefname = Sehwi

| dia1 = Wiawso

| dia2 = Anhwiaso

| dia3 = Aowin

}}

Sefwi, also known as Sefwi, Esahie, and Asahyue, is a Niger-Congo language spoken by 305,000 across southwestern Ghana, principally in the Western Region.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/sfw|title=Sehwi|website=Ethnologue|language=en|access-date=2020-01-04}}{{Cite journal|last=Broohm|first=Obed Nii|date=2017-01-01|title=Broohm: Noun Classification in Esahie|url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjl/article/view/164188|journal=Ghana Journal of Linguistics|language=en|volume=6|issue=3|pages=81–122–122|doi=10.4314/gjl.v6i3.4|issn=2026-6596|doi-access=free}} It is the common language of the Sehwi people.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/9026|title=A summary report on the sociolinguistic survey of the Sehwi language|date=2013-01-28|website=SIL International|language=en|access-date=2020-01-04}}

Sehwi is a Kwa language of the Central Tano branch, closely related to Anyin, and mutually intelligible with the Sannvin dialect of Anyin; its two main dialects are Wiawso, spoken in the southern area of the Sehwi territory, and Anhwiaso, spoken in the northern area. According to Dolphyne, the Aowin dialect, putatively of Anyin, is actually closer to Sehwi.Dolphyne, Florence Abena (1986) The languages of the Akan peoples. Research review. Vol. 2 No. 1, Pages 1-22[https://n2t.net/ark:/85335/m5dz0640k] University of Ghana.

Virtually all speakers of Sehwi are bilingual in Twi, which is used as the trade language in the region. However, the Sehwi people are fond of their language, such that other tribes who come to stay with Sehwi people tend to speak Sehwi.