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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Guinea > Kissi, Northern

Kissi, Northern

A language of Guinea

ISO 639-3: kqs

Population  287,000 in Guinea (Vanderaa 1991). Population total all countries: 327,000.
Region  South central, Kissidougou region. Also in Sierra Leone.
Language map  Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, reference number 33
Alternate names   Gizi, Kisi, Kisie, Kissien
Dialects  Liaro, Kama, Teng, Tung. Similar to Sherbro [bun]. Southern Kissi [kss] of Liberia and Sierra Leone is different.
Classification  Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Southern, Mel, Bullom-Kissi, Kissi
Language use  Official regional language.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 10% in French. Literacy materials taught in school. Grammar. NT: 1966–1986.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  Many loanwords from Western Maninkakan [mlq]. Traditional religion, Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Sierra Leone

Language name   Kissi, Northern
Population  40,000 in Sierra Leone (1991 LBT).
Language map  Sierra Leone, reference number 11
Alternate names  Gizi, Kisi, Kisie, Kissien
Dialects  Liaro, Kama, Teng, Tung.
Language use  Also use Krio [kri] or Mende [men].
Comments  Traditional religion.