{{Short description|Kru language of Liberia}} {{Infobox language |name = Grebo |nativename = {{native name|grb|Kréébo}} |pronunciation = |states = Liberia |speakers = {{sigfig|387,000|2}} |date = 2001 |ref = <ref>{{e18|gry|Barclayville Grebo}}</ref> |speakers2 = possibly a few Southern Grebo in Ivory Coast, plus refugees |familycolor = Niger-Congo |fam2 = Kru |fam3 = Western Kru |fam4 = Grebo languages |iso2 = grb |iso3 = grb |lc1=grj |ld1 = Southern (including Jabo) |lc2=grv |ld2 = Central |lc3=gbo |ld3 = Northern |lc4=gec |ld4 = Gboloo |lc5=gry |ld5 = Barclayville |lc6=oub |ld6 = Glio-Ubi |glotto = greb1256 |glottorefname = Liberian Grebo }}
'''Grebo''' is a Kru language of Liberia. All of the Grebo languages are referred to as Grebo, though in Ivory Coast, ''Krumen'' is the usual name. The Grebo people live in the extreme south-west of Liberia, both on the coast and inland, between the rivers Cavally and Cess.<ref>Gordon Innes, ''A Grebo - English Dictionary'', Cambridge University Press, 1967</ref>
As in the other Kru languages, tone is extremely important. For instance, {{lang|grb|né}} with a high (or high-mid) tone is the first-person pronoun "I", while {{lang|grb|nè}} with a low tone is the singular form of "you".<ref>Gordon Innes, as above. A dictionary was compiled from previous dictionaries and the speech of Assistant 1955-1957 at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, Mr. J.Y.Dennis</ref>
== Phonology == === Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ! rowspan="2" |Labial ! rowspan="2" |Alveolar ! rowspan="2" |Palatal ! colspan="2" |Velar ! rowspan="2" |Labio-<br>velar ! rowspan="2" |Glottal |- !<small>plain</small> !<small>lab.</small> |- ! rowspan="2" |Nasal !<small>voiced</small> |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} |{{IPA link|ɲ}} |{{IPA link|ŋ}} |{{IPA link|ŋʷ}} |{{IPA link|ŋ͡m}} | |- !<small>voiceless</small> |{{IPA link|m̥}} |{{IPA link|n̥}} | | | | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Plosive !<small>voiceless</small> |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} |{{IPA link|c}} |{{IPA link|k}} | |{{IPA link|k͡p}} | |- !<small>voiced</small> |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} |{{IPA link|ɟ}} |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | |{{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} | |- ! colspan="2" |Fricative |{{IPA link|f}} |{{IPA link|s}} | | | | |{{IPA link|h}} |- ! rowspan="2" |Approximant !<small>voiced</small> |{{IPA link|w}} |{{IPA link|l}} |{{IPA link|j}} | | | | |- !<small>voiceless</small> |{{IPA link|w̥}} |{{IPA link|l̥}} | | | | | |}
=== Vowels === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+Oral vowels ! rowspan="2" | ! colspan="2" |Front ! rowspan="2" |Central ! colspan="2" |Back |- !<small>plain</small> !<small>ret.</small> !<small>plain</small> !<small>ret.</small> |- !Close | colspan="2" |{{IPA link|i}} | | colspan="2" |{{IPA link|u}} |- !Close-mid |{{IPA link|e}} |{{IPA link|e̠}} | |{{IPA link|o}} |{{IPA link|o̠}} |- !Open-mid | colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɛ}} | | colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɔ}} |- !Open | colspan="2" | |{{IPA link|a}} | colspan="2" | |}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+Nasal vowels ! !Front !Central !Back |- !Close |{{IPA link|ĩ}} | |{{IPA link|ũ}} |- !Close-mid |{{IPA link|ẽ}} | |{{IPA link|õ}} |- !Open-mid |{{IPA link|ɛ̃}} | |{{IPA link|ɔ̃}} |- !Open | |{{IPA link|ã}} | |} Vowels /e̠, o̠/ are considered as retracted or "muffled" vowels according to source.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Innes |first=Gordon |title=An Introduction to Grebo |publisher=London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |year=1966}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{cite book|author=John Payne (Bp.)|title=A dictionary of the Grebo language|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7AoUAAAAYAAJ|access-date=25 August 2012|year=1860|publisher=E.O. Jenkins}}
{{Languages of Liberia}} {{Kru languages}} Category:Grebo people Category:Grebo languages Category:Languages of Liberia
{{Kru-lang-stub}} {{Liberia-stub}}