Kpelle, Guinea

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A language of Guinea

Alternate Names

Akpese, Gbese, Gerse, Gerze, Guerzé, Kpele, Kpelese, Kpelesetina, Kperese, Kpese, Kpwessi, Northern Kpele, Pessa, Pessy

Kpɛlɛwoo

User Population

497,000 (2017 census).

Nzérékoré region: between Dondano and Nzebola towns.

Language Maps

Guinea and Guinea-Bissau

Language Status

5* (Developing). De facto language of national identity.

Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Central-Southwestern, Southwestern, Kpelle

Central Kpelle, Gbali, Hege (Heghe). Different enough from Kpelle [xpe] of Liberia to need separate materials. Lexical similarity: 52%–67% with Kono [knu]. A member of macrolanguage Kpelle [kpe].

Also use Eastern Maninkakan [emk].

Language Development

Dictionary. Texts. Bible: 2008.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Kpelle, Guinea

Latin script [Latn].

‘Guerzé’ is the French name. Traditional religion, Christian, Muslim.