# Dan language

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dan_language
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dan_language.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_language
> Source revision: 1351392750
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{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](/source/Ivory_Coast), [Guinea](/source/Guinea), and [Liberia](/source/Liberia)
| ethnicity        = [Dan people](/source/Dan_people)
| speakers         = {{sigfig|1.636|2}} million
| date             = 2012
| ref              = e18
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam1             = [Niger–Congo](/source/Niger%E2%80%93Congo_languages)?
| fam2             = [Mande](/source/Mande_languages)
| fam3             = Eastern Mande
| fam4             = [Southeastern](/source/Southern_Mande_languages)
| fam5             = Mano–Dan
| fam6             = Guro–Dan
| fam7             = Tura–Dan
| script           = [Latin](/source/Latin_script)
| 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](/source/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](/source/Southern_Mande_languages) spoken primarily in [Ivory Coast](/source/Ivory_Coast) (~800,000 speakers) and [Liberia](/source/Liberia) (150,000–200,000 speakers). There is also a population of about 800 speakers in [Guinea](/source/Guinea).  Dan is a [tonal language](/source/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](/source/Front_vowel)
! colspan="2" |[Central](/source/Central_vowel)
! colspan="2" | [Back](/source/Back_vowel)
|-
![<small>Unrd.</small>](/source/Unrounded)
![<small>Rnd.</small>](/source/Roundedness)
![<small>Unrd.</small>](/source/Roundedness)
![<small>Rnd.</small>](/source/Roundedness)
|-
! [Close](/source/Close_vowel)
| {{IPA link|i}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ɯ}}
| {{IPA link|u}}
|-
![Near-close](/source/Near-close_vowel)
| style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|ɪ}}
|
|
| style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|ɯ̽}}
| style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|ʊ}}
|-
! [Close-mid](/source/Close-mid_vowel)
| {{IPA link|e}}
|
| style="background:#CAFF70"| {{IPA link|ɵ}}
| {{IPA link|ɤ}}
| {{IPA link|o}}
|-
![Mid](/source/Mid_vowel)
|
| style="background:#CAFF70"| {{IPA link|ə}}
|
|
|
|-
! [Open-mid](/source/Open-mid_vowel)
| {{IPA link|ɛ}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ʌ}}
| {{IPA link|ɔ}}
|-
! [Open](/source/Open_vowel)
| {{IPA link|æ}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ɑ}}
| {{IPA link|ɒ}}
|-
![Syllabic](/source/Syllabic_consonant)
|
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ŋ̍}}
| colspan="2" |
|}

Color coding:  

<span style="background:#EEE8AA">Only in Eastern Dan when in the position of extra-high tone </span>

<span style="background:#CAFF70">Only in Liberian Dan</span>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Nasal sounds in Eastern Dan<ref name="Vydrin"/>{{rp|451}}
! rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |[Front](/source/Front_vowel)
! colspan="2" |[Back](/source/Back_vowel)
|-
![<small>Unrd.</small>](/source/Roundedness)
![<small>Rnd.</small>](/source/Roundedness)
|-
![Close](/source/Close_vowel)
|{{IPA link|ĩ}}
|{{IPA link|ɯ̃}}
|{{IPA link|ũ}}
|-
![Open-mid](/source/Open-mid_vowel)
|{{IPA link|ɛ̃}}
|{{IPA link|ʌ̃}}
|{{IPA link|ɔ̃}}
|-
![Open](/source/Open_vowel)
|{{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](/source/Labial_consonant)
! rowspan="2" |[Alveolar](/source/Alveolar_consonant)
! rowspan="2" |[Palatal](/source/Palatal_consonant)
! colspan="2" |[Velar](/source/Velar_consonant)
! rowspan="2" |[Labial-<br/>velar](/source/Labial%E2%80%93velar_consonant)
! rowspan="2" |[Glottal](/source/Glottal_consonant)
|-
!<small>plain</small>
![<small>lab.</small>](/source/Labialization)
|-
! colspan="2" |[Nasal](/source/Nasal_consonant)
|{{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](/source/Plosive)
!<small>[voiceless](/source/voiceless)</small>
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t}}
|
|{{IPA link|k}}
|{{IPA link|kʷ}}
|{{IPA link|k͡p}}
|
|-
![<small>voiced</small>](/source/Voiced)
|{{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d}}
|
|{{IPA link|ɡ}}
| style="background:#E2B0FF"|  {{IPA link|ɡʷ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡ͡b}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[Implosive](/source/Implosive_consonant)
|{{IPA link|ɓ}}
|{{IPA link|ɗ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[Fricative](/source/Fricative)
!<small>[voiceless](/source/voiceless)</small>
|{{IPA link|f}}
|{{IPA link|s}}
|
| style="background:#CAFF70"| {{IPA link|x}}
|
|
| style="background:#EEE8AA"| {{IPA link|h}}
|-
![<small>voiced</small>](/source/Voiced)
|{{IPA link|v}}
|{{IPA link|z}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[Approximant](/source/Approximant)
|
|
|{{IPA link|j}}
|
|{{IPA link|w}}
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[Lateral](/source/Lateral_consonant)
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[Trill](/source/Trill_consonant)
|
|({{IPA link|r}})
|
|
|
|
|
|}
{{Notelist}}

<span style="background:#CAFF70">Only in Liberian Dan</span>

<span style="background:#EEE8AA">Not in Western Dan</span>

<span style="background:#E2B0FF">Not in Liberian Dan</span>

* 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](/source/%C6%81) || D || [Ɗ](/source/%C6%8A)
| E ||[Ɛ](/source/Latin_epsilon) || F || G || [GB](/source/Gb_(digraph))
| H || I || K || [KP](/source/Kp_(digraph)) || [KW](/source/Kw_(digraph))
| L || M || N || [NW](/source/Nw_(digraph)) || [NY](/source/Ny_(digraph))
| [Ŋ](/source/Eng_(letter)) || O || [Ɔ](/source/Open_O) || [Ə](/source/%C6%8F) || [Ɵ](/source/%C6%9F)
| P || R || S || T || U
| [Ɥ](/source/Turned_h) || 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](/source/Bh_(digraph)) || D
| [DH](/source/Dh_(digraph)) || E || [Ɛ](/source/Latin_epsilon) || [Ë](/source/%C3%8B) || ƐA
| F || G || [GB](/source/Gb_(digraph)) || [GW](/source/Gw_(digraph)) || I
| K || [KP](/source/Kp_(digraph)) || [KW](/source/Kw_(digraph)) || L || M
| N || [NG](/source/Ng_(digraph)) || O || [Ɔ](/source/Open_O) || [Ö](/source/%C3%96)
| P || R || S || T || U
| [Ü](/source/%C3%9C) || 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](/source/Bh_(digraph)) || D
| [DH](/source/Dh_(digraph)) || E || [Ë](/source/%C3%8B) || [Ɛ](/source/Latin_epsilon) || ƐA
| F || G || [GB](/source/Gb_(digraph)) || [GW](/source/Gw_(digraph)) || H
| I || [Ɩ](/source/%C6%96) || K || [KP](/source/Kp_(digraph)) || [KW](/source/Kw_(digraph))
| L || M || N || O || [Ö](/source/%C3%96)
| [Ɔ](/source/Open_O) || P || R || S || T
| U || [Ü](/source/%C3%9C) || [Ʋ](/source/%C6%B2) || 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](/source/%C5%92) || B || [BH](/source/Bh_(digraph)) || D
| [DH](/source/Dh_(digraph)) || E || [Ʌ](/source/%C9%85) || [Ɛ](/source/Latin_epsilon) || [Æ](/source/%C3%86)
| F || G || [GB](/source/Gb_(digraph)) || [GW](/source/Gw_(digraph)) || H
| I || [Ɩ](/source/%C6%96) || K || [KP](/source/Kp_(digraph)) || [KW](/source/Kw_(digraph))
| L || M || N || O || Ɤ
| [Ɔ](/source/Open_O) || P || R || S || T
| U || [Ɯ](/source/%C6%9C) || [Ʋ](/source/%C6%B2) || 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](/source/%C9%A4)
| 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](/source/Language_Documentation_%26_Conservation) |volume=14 |pages=108–138 |hdl=10125/24915}}

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

{{Languages of Côte d'Ivoire}}
{{Languages of Guinea}}
{{Languages of Liberia}}
{{Mande languages}}

{{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

{{Mande-lang-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dan language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_language) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_language?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.