Anii language
| Anii Language | |
|---|---|
| Gisida, Basila, Bassila, Baseca, Akpe | |
| Ouinji-Ouinji/Winji-Winji | |
| Native to | Benin and Togo |
|
Native speakers
|
49,000 (2011–2012) |
|
Niger–Congo
|
|
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | anii1245 |
The Anii language (formerly known as Bassila, Basila, Baseca, Ouinji-Ouinji ~ Winji-Winji, though this last term is derogatory ) is spoken in Benin, and central eastern Togo and central eastern Ghana. It is part of the geographic group of Ghana Togo Mountain languages (formerly known as the Togorestsprachen or Togo Remnant languages) of the Kwa branch of Niger–Congo.
There are four major dialect groups in Anii, which are quite different from each other, even to the point that some of the dialects are not mutually intelligible (Tompkins and Kluge 2009). These differences may include variation in phonology (including tonology), lexicon, syntax, and semantics. There are significant differences from village to village within groups, particularly regarding pronunciation.
The name "Anii" was chosen in May 1979 by the Anii people as the official name for the language because it is a word that is common to all the Anii dialects. It is an interjection meaning roughly ‘do you hear?’, or ‘do you understand?’. Some of the older names have colonial or derogatory connotations and should no longer be used, and just be kept for reference.
Like other languages of the Central-Togo group, Anii has a robust system of noun classes, contrasting with the reduced or absent systems of surrounding languages. It also has a strong system of vowel harmony based on the feature [ATR]. The Bassila dialect, on which the most linguistic research has been done, has two phonological tone levels, low and high, and exhibits both grammatical and lexical tone.
Anii is classified under the Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo and Kwa language groups.
The villages surrounding Bassila, the largest city in the region, have four alternative names for the Anii language and people: Gisida, Basila, Bassila, and Baseca. Although the locals refer to the language by different names, these simply represent distinct Anii communities in that region.
The Anii people are a diverse group with approximately eighteen villages along the border region of Benin and Togo. Benin has the largest Anii population with fifteen villages and 33,600 Anii, while Togo has three villages comprising roughly 12,300 residents and a significantly smaller community in Ghana. The Anii people are not originally from neither Togo nor Benin but are believed to have emigrated from Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso or Mali sometime before the 19th century. The different villages developed in relative isolation and developed their own names and dialect of Anii. It was not until 1979 when the Sous-Commission National Anii that the language was officially called Anii and a written alphabet was established.
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Wikipedia