The Kpelle language (

endonym An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, o ...

: "Kpɛlɛɛ") is spoken by the

Kpelle people The Kpelle people (also known as the ''Guerze, Kpwesi, Kpessi, Sprd, Mpessi, Berlu, Gbelle, Bere, Gizima,'' or ''Buni'') are the largest ethnic group in Liberia. They are located primarily in an area of central Liberia extending into Guinea. Th ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the w ...

and

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

and is part of the Mande family of languages. Guinean Kpelle (also known as ''Guerze'' in French), spoken by half a million people, concentrated primarily, but not exclusively, in the forest regions of Guinea, whose capital,

Nzérékoré Nzérékoré ( N’ko: , Adlam: ; also spelled N'Zérékoré) is the second-largest city in Guinea by population after the capital, Conakry, and the largest city in the Guinée forestière region of southeastern Guinea. The city is the capital of ...

, is the third largest city in

and the largest city in the

Guinée forestière Guinée forestière (Forested Guinea) is a forested mountainous region in southeastern Guinea, extending into northeastern Sierra Leone. It is one of four natural regions into which Guinea is divided and covers 23% of the country. It includes a ...

region of south-eastern Guinea bordering

, and

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

. Half a million Liberians speak Liberian Kpelle, which is taught in Liberian schools.

Sample

The

Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gos ...

in Kpelle: :Kunâŋ gáa ŋele sui, :Tɔɔ ku iláai siɣe a maa waa. :Tɔɔ Ikâloŋ-laai é pá, :Tɔɔ ínîa-mɛni é kέ, :Nɔii ma ɓɛ yɛ̂ɛ berei gáa la Ɣâla-taai. :I kukɔ sâa a kuɣele-kuu tɔnɔ-tɔnɔ mii-sɛŋ; :I ipôlu fe kutɔ̂ŋ-karaa-ŋai dîa, :Yɛ̂ɛ berei kwa kupôlu fè la kuɓarâai ditɔ̂ŋ-karaa-ŋai dîai; :Tɔɔ kutúɛ kufe pili yee-laa-maa su, :Kέlɛ, i kukúla mɛni nyɔ́mɔɔ su.

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

References

External links

PanAfriL10n page on Kpelle/Guerzé
Languages of Liberia Languages of Guinea Mande languages Kpelle people {{Mande-lang-stub