Gonja

Primary tabs

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Ngbanyito

Population

310,000 (2013 UNSD), increasing.

Location

Northern region: upper basin of Volta lake area; Brong-Ahafo region: Kintampa North district, separate area to west.

Language Maps

Language Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1951, Laws of the Gold Coast, Vernacular Literature Board Ordinance, as amended by Ordinance No. 44).

Classification

Dialects

Gonja, Choruba (Choroba).

Language Use

Vigorous. All domains. All ages. Also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Hanga [hag], Safaliba [saf].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: Below 5%. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 2015.

Language Resources

Writing

Latin script [Latn], used since 1970.

Other Comments

Traditional religion, Muslim.