Kasena language
Introduction '''Kasena''' or '''Kassena''' ('''Kasem''' or '''Kassem''') is the language of the Kassena ethnic group and is a Gur language spoken in the Upper East Region of northern Ghana and in Burkina Faso.
Orthography An independent 30-letter alphabet called the Goulsse alphabet (from ''gʋlse'', “writing” in Mooré) was devised by Burkinabé app developer Wenitte Apiou, Babaguioue Micareme Akouabou and Kassem linguist Fernand Ki in summer of 2021 based on the geometrical patterns found in Kassena architecture. The alphabet is also planned to be applicable for the related Mooré language as well.
Phonology ===Tone===Kasena has three tones, a high tone, a mid level tone and a low tone. Tonal changes either change the lexical meaning of a word or its grammatical function. '''Lexical''''''Grammatical'''
Grammar ===Noun Class System===There are five classes of nouns that can be identified in Kasena. These classes correspond to grammatical genders and are differentiated in terms of number, such that there are five classes for singular nouns and five classes for plural nouns. +Gender SGPLGloss1bubiəchild/children2bɪnɪbɪnayear(s)3naganɛfoot/feet4piupweerumontain(s)5bʊŋʊbʊmgoat(s)===Pronouns=======Personal Pronouns/Possessive Pronouns====There are two classes of personal pronouns. One class is referring to humans, whereas the other class is referring to non-human entities. The personal pronouns are also used as possessive pronouns, thus there is no special form for possessive pronouns in Kasena. '''Human personal pronouns'''+PersonSGPLGloss1stADíI/we2ndNÁYou/you3rdOBaHe/she/They'''Non-human personal pronouns'''+ClassSGPLIOBaIIDɪYaIIIKaSɪIVKʊTɪVKʊDɪ====Emphatic Pronouns====+PersonSGPLGloss1stamʊdcbamMe/we2ndnmʊabamYou/you3rdwʊm/wʊntubam/bantʊHe/she/they====Reciprocal Pronouns====Reciprocity is expressed by the pronoun ''daanɪ'', which sometimes occurs as a prefix or suffix.====Reflexive Pronouns====Reflexivity is expressed by a personal pronoun to which either ''tɪtɪ'' or ''katɪ'' ('-self')is added. ====Relative Pronouns====Relative pronouns are formed on the basis of the personal pronouns for non-human entities to which the suffix ''-lʊ'' is attached.+ClassSGPLIwʊlʊbalʊIIdɪlʊyalʊIIIkalʊsɪlʊIVkʊlʊtɪlʊVkʊlʊdɪlʊ====Indefinite Pronouns====+ClassNumber''Certain''''Some''''Any''ISGwʊdoŋ ---wʊlʊ wʊlʊIPLbadonnəbadaarabalʊ balʊIISGdɪ doŋ ---dɪlʊ  dɪlʊIIPLyadonnəyadaarayalʊ  yalʊIIISGkadoŋ ---kalʊ  kalʊIIIPLsɪdonnəsɪdaarasɪlʊ  sɪlʊIVSGkudoŋ ---kʊlʊ kʊlʊIVPLtɪdonnətɪdaaratɪlʊ  tɪlʊVSGkudoŋ ---kʊlʊ kʊlʊVPLdɪdonnədɪdaaradɪlʊ  dɪlʊ====Demonstrative Pronouns====+ClassSGGlossPLGlossIwuntuthis/thatbantuthese/thoseIIdɪntuthis/thatyantuthese/thoseIIIkantuthis/thatsɪntuthese/thoseIVkuntuthis/thattɪntuthese/thoseVkuntuthis/thatdɪntuthese/those====Interrogative Pronouns====+ClassSG ''who, what, which''PL ''who, what, which''''How much''IwɔɔbrabagraIIdɔɔyɔɔyagraIIIkɔɔsɔɔsɪgraIVkɔɔtɔɔtɪgraVkɔɔdɔɔdɪgra
Syntax ===Word Order===The Kasena language has a basic SVO word order.
References
External links * Languages of Ghana* Kassena-Ninkarse.org* Riddles in Kasena* The VP-periphery in Mabia languages*Web version of Ethnologue