Home›Languages›Language Family (Classification)›Atlantic-CongoLanguage FamilyAtlantic-CongoAfrican Language FamiliesReference and ClassificationDevelopingThe Atlantic-Congo languages make up the largest demonstrated family of languages in Africa, sharing characteristic noun class systems and forming the core of the broader Niger-Congo family hypothesis. The family comprises all of Niger-Congo apart from Mande, Dogon, Ijoid, Siamou, Kru and the Katla and Rashad languages formerly classified as Kordofanian, and perhaps some or all of the Ubangian languages. Linguist Hans Gunther Mukarovsky's earlier grouping Western Nigritic corresponded roughly to what is now called Atlantic-Congo, and the Glottolog classification, based primarily on Tom Güldemann's 2018 work, gives a more limited evaluation consisting basically of Volta-Congo and the erstwhile West Atlantic languages.FactsAtlantic-CongoConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsDisputedProto-Language StatusScholarly debateThe family's own internal composition is still debated. Glottolog, following Güldemann (2018), limits demonstrated Atlantic-Congo to Volta-Congo and the former West Atlantic languages, leaving several languages (Pre, Mpre, Aproumu Aizi) provisionally placed but not conclusively classified within it. 1RegionWell-attestedSub-Saharan Africa, forming the core of the proposed Niger-Congo family 1Atlantic-CongoFilter Results13 entriesRegionAllBenin, Nigeria, Togo (1)Botswana, South Africa (1)Burundi (1)Ghana (1)Ghana and Togo (West Africa) (1)Lesotho, South Africa (1)Malawi, eastern Zambia, Mozambique (1)Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda (1)Sahel (1)Senegambia (1)StatusAllLiving (13)Speaker Count BandAll1100000.000000 (1)2300000.000000 (1)5000000.000000 (1)5600000.000000 (1)7000000.000000 (1)8000000.000000 (1)8200000.000000 (1)8900000.000000 (1)12000000.000000 (1)13000000.000000 (1)15000000.000000 (1)34000000.000000 (1)37000000.000000 (1)Script UsedAllLatin Script (13)Period Start YearAll1777 (1)1823 (1)1837 (1)Language KindAllSafe (12)Official StatusAllCo-Official Language (1)National Language (Symbolic, Not Sole Official) (4)Official Language (4)Recognized Regional or Minority Language (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 13AkanAtlantic-CongoChichewaAtlantic-CongoEweAtlantic-CongoFonAtlantic-CongoFulaAtlantic-CongoIgboAtlantic-CongoKinyarwandaAtlantic-CongoKirundiAtlantic-CongoSesothoAtlantic-CongoTswanaAtlantic-CongoWolofAtlantic-CongoXhosaAtlantic-CongoZuluAtlantic-CongoConnectionsAncestor OfVolta-Congo, Language Families Well-attested Volta-Congo is a major branch of Atlantic-Congo, containing Kwa, Benue-Congo and their relatives.Descends FromNiger-Congo, Language Families Well-attested Atlantic-Congo is the largest primary branch of Niger-Congo, containing the great majority of the family's languages including Bantu.IncludesAkan, Languages Well-attested Source Twi-Fante language (Wikipedia)Chichewa, Languages Well-attested Source Chewa language (Wikipedia)Ewe, Languages Well-attested Source Ewe language, WikipediaFon, Languages Well-attested Source Fon language (Wikipedia)Fula, Languages Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Fula Languagetier 2Igbo, Languages Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Igbo Languagetier 2Kinyarwanda, Languages Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Kinyarwanda Languagetier 2Kirundi, Languages Well-attested Source Kirundi, WikipediaSesotho, Languages Well-attested Source Sotho language (Wikipedia)Tswana, Languages Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Tswana Languagetier 2Wolof, Languages Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Wolof Languagetier 2Xhosa, Languages Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Xhosa Languagetier 2Zulu, Languages Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Zulu Languagetier 2In the Other AtlasesFound InAfricaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sub-Saharan AfricaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Wikipedia: Atlantic-Congo languagesWikipediaIntroduction, first sentenceThe Atlantic-Congo languages make up the largest demonstrated family of languages in Africa.Classification paragraph, third sentenceGlottolog, based primarily on Güldemann (2018), has a more limited evaluation of what has been demonstrated to be Atlantic-Congo, consisting basically of Volta-Congo and erstwhile West AtlanticView the SourceWikidata: Atlantic-CongoWikidata Q771124, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the SourceWikipedia: Xhosa Languagetier 2Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Xhosa, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Xhosa, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceWikipedia: Zulu Languagetier 2Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Zulu, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Zulu, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceWikipedia: Wolof Languagetier 2Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Wolof, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Wolof, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceWikipedia: Igbo Languagetier 2Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Igbo, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Igbo, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceWikipedia: Fula Languagetier 2Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Fula, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Fula, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceWikipedia: Tswana Languagetier 2Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Tswana, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Tswana, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceWikipedia: Kinyarwanda Languagetier 2Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Kinyarwanda, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Kinyarwanda, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceEwe language, WikipediaIncludes: Ewe, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Ewe, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceKirundi, WikipediaIncludes: Kirundi, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Kirundi, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceFon language (Wikipedia)Includes: Fon, Infobox, Language familyQuote, Includes: Fon, Infobox, Language familyAtlantic-CongoView the SourceTwi-Fante language (Wikipedia)Includes: Akan, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Akan, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceSotho language (Wikipedia)Includes: Sesotho, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Sesotho, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceChewa language (Wikipedia)Includes: Chichewa, Infobox: fam2Quote, Includes: Chichewa, Infobox: fam2Atlantic-CongoView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. 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