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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Benin > Fon

Fon

A language of Benin

ISO 639-3: fon

Population	1,400,000 in Benin (2006), increasing. Population total all countries: 1,435,500.
Region	Zou Province, Atlantic Province, south Abomey-Calavi and Ouidah Subprefectures; Littoral Province, Cotonou. Interspersed with other groups south and in towns north. Also in Togo.
Language map	Benin, reference number 20
Alternate names	Dahomeen, Djedji, Fo, Fogbe, Fongbe, Fonnu
Dialects	Agbome, Arohun, Gbekon, Kpase.
Classification	Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Kwa, Left Bank, Gbe, Fon
Language use	Language of wider communication. Vigorous. Administration, education, religious services, commerce, and labor. Positive attitude. Also use French.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: 10%. 10% can read Fon, 7% can write it. Newspapers. Radio programs. TV. Grammar. NT: 1993.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	Agriculturalists. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Togo

Language name	Fon
Population	35,500 in Togo (1991).
Region	Plateau region, Atakpame town north and south, scattered small groups.
Language map	Togo, reference number 13
Alternate names	Dahomeen, Djedji, Fo, Fogbe, Fon-Gbe, Fonnu
Language use	Also use Éwé [ewe] or French.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: 5%–60%.
Comments	Traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

ALDRIDGE, Boone; ALDRIDGE, Julie; SCHOCH, Gabriele R.; WOLF, Katharina, authors. 2002. Abrégé de l'enquête sociolinguistique sur le weme du Bénin.

CAPO, Hounkpati B. C., author. 1989. "The neolanguage approach to orthography: The case of Gbe."  

FATON, Gabriele R., author; HATFIELD, Deborah H., consultant. 2006. Abrégé de l'enquête sociolinguistique sur l'Agouna du Bénin.

HATFIELD, Deborah H.; HENSON, Bonnie J.; MCHENRY, Michael M., authors. 1998. Abrégé de l'enquête sociolinguistique sur le Kotafon du Bénin.

HUTTAR, George L., author. 2012. "The African lexical contribution to Ndyuka, Saramaccan, and other creoles: Implications for how creoles develop."  

KLOPPENBURG, Geerhard, author. 2006. Paratext in Bible translations: with special reference to selected Bible translations into Beninese languages.

KLOPPENBURG, Geerhard, author. 2006. Paratext in Bible translations: with special reference to selected Bible translations into Beninese languages.

KLUGE, Angela, author. 2007. "The Gbe language continuum of West Africa: a synchronic typological approach to prioritizing in-depth sociolinguistic research on literature extensibility."  

WIESEMANN, Ursula, author. 1998. Review of: Réalisations argumentales et classes de verbes en Fɔngbè, by Anne-Marie Brousseau.