Dagbani

Dagbani, also spelled Dagbanli or Dagomba, is a Gur language of the Niger-Congo family spoken by the Dagomba people in northern Ghana. It is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages in the northern region and functions as a regional lingua franca among communities in the area. The language is native to the Dagomba in the Northern Region, particularly around Tamale, as well as in surrounding districts, and is spoken by diaspora communities elsewhere in Ghana and abroad.

Linguistic classification: Dagbani is a member of the Gur languages, a branch of the Niger-Congo language family. It is mainly tonal, with lexical and grammatical tone distinguishing meanings. The basic sentence structure is generally subject–verb–object (SVO), although word order can be flexible in longer sentences.

Orthography and literacy: Dagbani uses a Latin-based writing system. A standardized orthography is used in educational materials, literature, and media; additional diacritics are used in some texts to indicate vowel length and tone.

Dialects: There are several dialects within the Dagbani-speaking community, reflecting regional and clan-based variation.

Usage and status: Dagbani is widely used in everyday communication, traditional ceremonies, local media, and primary schooling in Dagomba areas. English remains the official language of Ghana, but Dagbani is recognized for language development and cultural preservation through various government and NGO initiatives.