Dan language

{{Short description|Mande language of West Africa}} {{Redirect|Yacouba|the ethnic group|Dan people|the name|Yacouba (name)}} {{More citations needed|date=August 2024}} {{use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox language | name = Dan | nativename = {{lang|dnj|dàn, ꞊daanwo, daã̀}} | states = Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia | ethnicity = Dan people | speakers = {{sigfig|1.636|2}} million | date = 2012 | ref = e18 | familycolor = Niger-Congo | fam1 = Niger–Congo? | fam2 = Mande | fam3 = Eastern Mande | fam4 = Southeastern | fam5 = Mano–Dan | fam6 = Guro–Dan | fam7 = Tura–Dan | script = Latin | lc1 = dnj | ld1 = Dan | lc2 = lda | ld2 = Kla | glotto = dann1241 | glottorefname = Dan | notice = IPA | altname = Yacouba }} [[File:WIKITONGUES- Robertson speaking Dan.webm|thumb|A Dan speaker, recorded in Liberia.]]

'''Dan''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|æ|n}}<ref>Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student’s Handbook'', Edinburgh{{relevance?|date=August 2024}}</ref> is a Southern Mande language spoken primarily in Ivory Coast (~800,000 speakers) and Liberia (150,000–200,000 speakers). There is also a population of about 800 speakers in Guinea. Dan is a tonal language, with 9 to 11 contour and register tones, depending on the dialect.

Alternative names for the language include Yacouba or Yakubasa, Gio, Gyo, Gio-Dan, and Da. Dialects are Gio (Liberian Dan), Gweetaawu (Eastern Dan), Blowo (Western Dan), and Kla. Kla is evidently a distinct language.

==Phonology==

A syllable is minimally /V/ or /ŋ/, and maximally /ClVV/ or /ClVŋ/.

===Vowels=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+Vowels<ref name="Vydrin"/>{{rp|451}} ! rowspan="2" | ! rowspan="2" | Front ! colspan="2" |Central ! colspan="2" | Back |- !Unrd. !Rnd. !Unrd. !Rnd. |- ! Close | {{IPA link|i}} | | | {{IPA link|ɯ}} | {{IPA link|u}} |- !Near-close | style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|ɪ}} | | | style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|ɯ̽}} | style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|ʊ}} |- ! Close-mid | {{IPA link|e}} | | style="background:#CAFF70"| {{IPA link|ɵ}} | {{IPA link|ɤ}} | {{IPA link|o}} |- !Mid | | style="background:#CAFF70"| {{IPA link|ə}} | | | |- ! Open-mid | {{IPA link|ɛ}} | | | {{IPA link|ʌ}} | {{IPA link|ɔ}} |- ! Open | {{IPA link|æ}} | | | {{IPA link|ɑ}} | {{IPA link|ɒ}} |- !Syllabic | | colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ŋ̍}} | colspan="2" | |}

Color coding:

Only in Eastern Dan when in the position of extra-high tone

Only in Liberian Dan

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+Nasal sounds in Eastern Dan<ref name="Vydrin"/>{{rp|451}} ! rowspan="2" | ! rowspan="2" |Front ! colspan="2" |Back |- !Unrd. !Rnd. |- !Close |{{IPA link|ĩ}} |{{IPA link|ɯ̃}} |{{IPA link|ũ}} |- !Open-mid |{{IPA link|ɛ̃}} |{{IPA link|ʌ̃}} |{{IPA link|ɔ̃}} |- !Open |{{IPA link|æ̃}} |{{IPA link|ɑ̃}} |{{IPA link|ɒ̃}} |}

=== Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+Consonants<ref name="Vydrin"/>{{rp|451}} ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ! rowspan="2" |Labial ! rowspan="2" |Alveolar ! rowspan="2" |Palatal ! colspan="2" |Velar ! rowspan="2" |Labial- velar ! rowspan="2" |Glottal |- !plain !lab. |- ! colspan="2" |Nasal |{{IPA link|m}}{{Efn|Nasal consonant sounds mainly occur when phonemes /ɓ, ɗ, j, w, ɡ͡b/ are in nasal positions.|name=Nasal}} |{{IPA link|n}}{{Efn|name=Nasal}} |{{IPA link|ɲ}}{{Efn|name=Nasal}} |{{IPA link|ŋ}} |{{IPA link|ŋʷ}}{{Efn|name=Nasal}} |{{IPA|ɡ͡m}}{{Efn|name=Nasal}} | |- ! rowspan="2" |Plosive !voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} | |{{IPA link|k}} |{{IPA link|kʷ}} |{{IPA link|k͡p}} | |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} | |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | style="background:#E2B0FF"| {{IPA link|ɡʷ}} |{{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} | |- ! colspan="2" |Implosive |{{IPA link|ɓ}} |{{IPA link|ɗ}} | | | | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Fricative !voiceless |{{IPA link|f}} |{{IPA link|s}} | | style="background:#CAFF70"| {{IPA link|x}} | | | style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|h}} |- !voiced |{{IPA link|v}} |{{IPA link|z}} | | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Approximant | | |{{IPA link|j}} | |{{IPA link|w}} | | |- ! colspan="2" |Lateral | |{{IPA link|l}} | | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Trill | |({{IPA link|r}}) | | | | | |} {{Notelist}}

Only in Liberian Dan

Not in Western Dan

Not in Liberian Dan

* all consonants are nasalized in nasal feet * {{IPAslink|ŋ}} occurs only as a syllable or a syllable coda and has been treated as a vowel. it carries tone. * {{IPAslink|l}} is heard as {{IPAblink|r}} when preceded by alveolar or palatal consonants. * Consonant combinations {{IPA|/sl, zl/}} are heard as lateral fricative sounds {{IPA|[ɬ, ɮ]}}.<ref name="Vydrin">{{Cite book |last=Vydrin |first=Valentin |chapter=Dan |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2020 |editor-first=Rainer |editor-last=Vossen |editor-first2=Gerrit J. |editor-last2=Dimmendaal |title=The Oxford Handbook of African Languages |pages=451–462 |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199609895.013.66 |isbn=9780199609895}}</ref>

=== Tones === Dan has four to five level tones, depending on the variety, with level and contour tones.

== Writing system == The orthography of Liberia includes this alphabet:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=language_detail_sym&key=dnj| title=Dan |website=ScriptSource}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Proposal to Encode Additional Latin and Cyrillic Characters|url=http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/SC2/WG2/docs/n3481.pdf|access-date=13 October 2019|archive-date=23 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923202024/http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n3481.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> {|class=wikitable style=text-align:center |- ! colspan="36" | Dan alphabet (Liberia) |- | A || B || Ɓ || D || Ɗ | E ||Ɛ || F || G || GB | H || I || K || KP || KW | L || M || N || NW || NY | Ŋ || O || Ɔ || Ə || Ɵ | P || R || S || T || U | Ɥ || V || W || X || Y | Z |- | a || b || ɓ || d || ɗ | e || ɛ || f || g || gb | h || i || k || kp || kw | l || m || n || nw || ny | ŋ || o || ɔ || ə || ɵ | p || r || s || t || u | ɥ || v || w || x || y | z |- ! colspan="36" | IPA value |- | {{IPA link|a}} || {{IPA link|b}} || {{IPA link|ɓ}} || {{IPA link|d}} || {{IPA link|ɗ}} | {{IPA link|e}} || {{IPA link|ɛ}} || {{IPA link|f}} || {{IPA link|ɡ}} || {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} | {{IPA link|h}} || {{IPA link|i}} || {{IPA link|k}} || {{IPA link|k͡p}} || {{IPA link|kʷ}} | {{IPA link|l}} || {{IPA link|m}} || {{IPA link|n}} || {{IPA link|ŋʷ}} || {{IPA link|ɲ}} | {{IPA link|ŋ}} || {{IPA link|o}} || {{IPA link|ɔ}} || {{IPA link|ə}} || {{IPA link|ɵ}} | {{IPA link|p}} || {{IPA link|r}} || {{IPA link|s}} || {{IPA link|t}} || {{IPA link|u}} | {{IPA link|ɯ}} || {{IPA link|v}} || {{IPA link|w}} || {{IPA link|x}} || {{IPA link|j}} | {{IPA link|z}} |}

{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center |- ! colspan="35" | Dan West alphabet (Côte d'Ivoire) |- | A || AƆ || B || BH || D | DH || E || Ɛ || Ë || ƐA | F || G || GB || GW || I | K || KP || KW || L || M | N || NG || O || Ɔ || Ö | P || R || S || T || U | Ü || V || W || Y || Z |- | a || aɔ || b || bh || d | dh || e || ɛ || ë || ɛa | f || g || gb || gw || i | k || kp || kw || l || m | n || ng || o || ɔ || ö | p || r || s || t || u | ü || v || w || y || z |- ! colspan="35" | IPA values |- | {{IPA link|a}} || {{IPA link|ɒ}} || {{IPA link|b}} || {{IPA link|ɓ}} || {{IPA link|d}} | {{IPA link|ɗ}} || {{IPA link|e}} || {{IPA link|ɛ}} || {{IPA link|ʌ}} || {{IPA link|æ}} | {{IPA link|f}} || {{IPA link|ɡ}} || {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} || {{IPA link|gʷ}} || {{IPA link|i}} | {{IPA link|k}} || {{IPA link|k͡p}} || {{IPA link|kʷ}} || {{IPA link|l}} || {{IPA link|m}} | {{IPA link|n}} || {{IPA link|ŋ}} || {{IPA link|o}} || {{IPA link|ɔ}} || {{IPA link|ɤ}} | {{IPA link|p}} || {{IPA link|r}} || {{IPA link|s}} || {{IPA link|t}} || {{IPA link|u}} | {{IPA link|ɯ}} || {{IPA link|v}} || {{IPA link|w}} || {{IPA link|j}} || {{IPA link|z}} |}

{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center |- ! colspan="38" | Dan East alphabet (Côte d'Ivoire), 1982 |- | A || AƆ || B || BH || D | DH || E || Ë || Ɛ || ƐA | F || G || GB || GW || H | I || Ɩ || K || KP || KW | L || M || N || O || Ö | Ɔ || P || R || S || T | U || Ü || Ʋ || Ʋ̈ || V | W || Y || Z |- | a || aɔ || b || bh || d | dh || e || ë || ɛ || ɛa | f || g || gb || gw || h | i || ɩ || k || kp || kw | l || m || n || o || ö | ɔ || p || r || s || t | u || ü || ʋ || ʋ̈ || v | w || y || z |- ! colspan="38" | IPA value |- | {{IPA link|a}} || {{IPA link|ɒ}} || {{IPA link|b}} || {{IPA link|ɓ}} || {{IPA link|d}} | {{IPA link|ɗ}} || {{IPA link|e}} || {{IPA link|ʌ}} || {{IPA link|ɛ}} || {{IPA link|æ}} | {{IPA link|f}} || {{IPA link|ɡ}} || {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} || {{IPA link|gʷ}} || {{IPA link|h}} | {{IPA link|i}} || {{IPA link|ɪ}} || {{IPA link|k}} || {{IPA link|k͡p}} || {{IPA link|kʷ}} | {{IPA link|l}} || {{IPA link|m}} || {{IPA link|n}} || {{IPA link|o}} || {{IPA link|ɤ}} | {{IPA link|ɔ}} || {{IPA link|p}} || {{IPA link|r}} || {{IPA link|s}} || {{IPA link|t}} | {{IPA link|u}} || {{IPA link|ɯ}} || {{IPA link|ʊ}} || {{IPA link|ʉ}} || {{IPA link|v}} | {{IPA link|w}} || {{IPA link|j}} || {{IPA link|z}} |}

{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center |- ! colspan="38" | Dan East alphabet (Côte d'Ivoire), 2014 |- | A || Œ || B || BH || D | DH || E || Ʌ || Ɛ || Æ | F || G || GB || GW || H | I || Ɩ || K || KP || KW | L || M || N || O || Ɤ | Ɔ || P || R || S || T | U || Ɯ || Ʋ || V || W | Y || Z |- | a || œ || b || bh || d | dh || e || ʌ || ɛ || æ | f || g || gb || gw || h | i || ɩ || k || kp || kw | l || m || n || o || ɤ | ɔ || p || r || s || t | u || ɯ || ʋ || v || w | y || z |- ! colspan="38" | IPA value |- | {{IPA link|a}} || {{IPA link|ɒ}} || {{IPA link|b}} || {{IPA link|ɓ}} || {{IPA link|d}} | {{IPA link|ɗ}} || {{IPA link|e}} || {{IPA link|ʌ}} || {{IPA link|ɛ}} || {{IPA link|æ}} | {{IPA link|f}} || {{IPA link|ɡ}} || {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} || {{IPA link|ɡʷ}} || {{IPA link|h}} | {{IPA link|i}} || {{IPA link|ɪ}} || {{IPA link|k}} || {{IPA link|k͡p}} || {{IPA link|kʷ}} | {{IPA link|l}} || {{IPA link|m}} || {{IPA link|n}} || {{IPA link|o}} || {{IPA link|ɤ}} | {{IPA link|ɔ}} || {{IPA link|p}} || {{IPA link|r}} || {{IPA link|s}} || {{IPA link|t}} | {{IPA link|u}} || {{IPA link|ɯ}} || {{IPA link|ʊ}} || {{IPA link|v}} || {{IPA link|w}} | {{IPA link|j}} || {{IPA link|z}} |}

Tones are marked as follows: extra high tone: a̋; high tone: á; medium tone: ā; low tone: à; extra low tone: ȁ; high drop tone: â; extra low hanging tone: aʼ.

The digraphs {{anglebracket|bh, dh, gb gw, kp, kw}} keep the same values as in the spelling of 1982, and the nasal vowels are also indicated by appending the letter n after the letter of the vowel {{anglebracket|an, æn, ʌn, ɛn, in, ɔn, œn, un}}.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite journal |last1=Roberts |first1=David |first2=Ginger |last2=Boyd |first3=Johannes |last3=Merz |first4=Valentin |last4=Vydrin |year=2020 |title=Quantifying written ambiguities in tone languages: A comparative study of Elip, Mbelime, and Eastern Dan |journal=Language Documentation & Conservation |volume=14 |pages=108–138 |hdl=10125/24915}}

==External links== {{Incubator|dnj}} *[https://glosbe.com/en/dnj/ English-Dan Online Dictionary]

{{Authority control}} Category:Mande languages Category:Languages of Ivory Coast Category:Languages of Guinea Category:Languages of Liberia Category:Dan people Category:Long stubs with short prose