Kpelle, Guinea

GKP

developing

Alternate Names: Akpese, Gbese, Gerse, Gerze, Guerze, Kpele, Kpelese, Kpelesetina, Kperese, Kpese, Kpwessi, Northern Kpele, Pessa, Pessy

Dialects: Central Kpelle, Gbali, Heghe. Different enough from Kpelle , of Liberia to need separate materials. Lexical similarity: 52%–67% with Kono ,. A member of macrolanguage Kpelle ,.

Status Notes: De facto language of national identity.

Genealogy:

Niger-Congo
Mande
Western
Central-Southwestern
Southwestern
Kpelle

Demographics: 460,000 (2012 V. Vydrin).

Language Development: Was taught in school under the 1st Republic (before 1984). Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 2008.

Spoken In: Guinea

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Guinea

Other Comments: ’Guerze’ is the French name. Traditional religion, Christian, Muslim.