Ethnologue

Kpelle, Liberia

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Gbese, Kpele, Kpwessi, Pessa, Pessy

Autonym

Kpɛlɛwoo

Population

760,000 (2012 V. Vydrin).

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps

Language Status

5* (Developing).

Classification

Dialects

Nyawokole, Fuama, Boopolu. Dialect differences slight. Different from Kpelle [gkp] of Guinea. A member of macrolanguage Kpelle [kpe].

Language Use

Used as L2 by Kuwaa [blh].

Language Development

Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2014.

Language Resources

Writing

Kpelle script [Kpel], limited usage except for correspondence. Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Largest group in Liberia. Traditional religion, Christian.