Central Tano languages

Central Tano
Akan
Geographic distribution	Ghana, Ivory Coast
Linguistic classification	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta–Congo Kwa Potou–Tano Tano Central Tano
Subdivisions	Bia Akan
Language codes
Glottolog	cent2262

The Central Tano or Akan languages are a pair of dialect clusters of the Niger-Congo family (or perhaps the theorised Kwa languages ^[1] ) spoken in Ghana and Ivory Coast by the Akan people.

There are two or three languages, each with dialects that are sometimes treated as languages themselves: ^{[2] [3]}

• Akanic (primarily in Ghana)
  • core Akan (Asante, Akuapem and Fante dialects)
  • Bono
  • Wasa
• Bia (primarily in Ivory Coast and Western Ghana)
  • Northern Bia language
    • Anyin dialect
    • Baoulé dialect
    • Chakosi (Anufo) dialect
    • Sefwi (Sehwi) dialect
  • Southern Bia language
    • Nzema dialect
    • Ahanta dialect
    • Jwira–Pepesa dialect

All have written forms in the Latin script.

References

1. Ameka, Felix K.; Dakubu, Mary Esther Kropp (2008). Aspect and Modality in Kwa Languages. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN   978-90-272-0567-4., p. 4
2. Stewart, John M. 1989. Kwa. In Bendor-Samuel, John (ed.), The Niger-Congo Languages, 216-245. University Press of America & SIL. p. 225.
3. Dolphyne, Florence Abena (1986) The languages of the Akan peoples. Research review. Vol. 2 No. 1, Pages 1-22 University of Ghana. p. 15.