I’m not into tonal African languages much, but this definitely sounds like one.
It sounded to me like some sort of French Creole.
I hear a lot of French sounding cadence along with a lot of African style cadence. Is it Sango?
There are some similarities with what little I’ve discovered about the Central Narrow Bantu languages – perhaps a language from the Zigula-Zaramo, Bena-Kinga, Rwanda-Rundi groups?
It sounds very much like Twi or possibly another closely related language in Ghana or perhaps Ivory Coast. The /fr/ and /br/ clusters are very typical of languages in this area and as far as I know are rare in other African languages.
Also the /nji/ and /fja/; I also hear /z/ and a voiced bilabial fricative which as far as I know don’t occur in Twi. Perhaps Ewe from Togo or a neighbouring language of Benin? In any case, I’m certain this language comes from the general area.
I’m with Drabkikker. I also think I hear a lot of reduplication, but that doesn’t help me any.
I agree, it’s definitely a tonal African language. No idea which one though, except it’s most definitely not one of the Bantu languages in the south.
I wonder if it’s a two-tiered tone system? On the surface there’s mostly high and low, some rising, and extremely few falling. Not sure if there is a separate mid tone. Sometimes it does seem like there is an extra-high tone, though.
The answer is Ewe (Eʋegbe), which is spoken in Ghana, Togo and Benin.
I’m not into tonal African languages much, but this definitely sounds like one.
It sounded to me like some sort of French Creole.
I hear a lot of French sounding cadence along with a lot of African style cadence. Is it Sango?
There are some similarities with what little I’ve discovered about the Central Narrow Bantu languages – perhaps a language from the Zigula-Zaramo, Bena-Kinga, Rwanda-Rundi groups?
It sounds very much like Twi or possibly another closely related language in Ghana or perhaps Ivory Coast. The /fr/ and /br/ clusters are very typical of languages in this area and as far as I know are rare in other African languages.
Also the /nji/ and /fja/; I also hear /z/ and a voiced bilabial fricative which as far as I know don’t occur in Twi. Perhaps Ewe from Togo or a neighbouring language of Benin? In any case, I’m certain this language comes from the general area.
I’m with Drabkikker. I also think I hear a lot of reduplication, but that doesn’t help me any.
I agree, it’s definitely a tonal African language. No idea which one though, except it’s most definitely not one of the Bantu languages in the south.
I wonder if it’s a two-tiered tone system? On the surface there’s mostly high and low, some rising, and extremely few falling. Not sure if there is a separate mid tone. Sometimes it does seem like there is an extra-high tone, though.
The answer is Ewe (Eʋegbe), which is spoken in Ghana, Togo and Benin.
The recording comes from YouTube.
I’d love to hear ewe in the context of a typical radio broadcast…. Such a beautiful tonal language. 🙂
d.m.f.
For d.m.falk:
I love Ewe language too 🙂