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.
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.[2]
Phonologyedit
Toneedit
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.[3]
Lexical
A
A
„I“
Á
Á
„You (PL)“
Grammatical
Wu
Wu
Negation
Wú
Wú
Futur
Grammaredit
Noun Class Systemedit
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.[3]
Gender
SG
PL
Gloss
1
bu
biə
child/children
2
bɪnɪ
bɪna
year(s)
3
naga
nɛ
foot/feet
4
piu
pweeru
montain(s)
5
bʊŋʊ
bʊm
goat(s)
Pronounsedit
Personal Pronouns/Possessive Pronounsedit
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
Person
SG
PL
Gloss
1st
A
Dí
I/we
2nd
N
Á
You/you
3rd
O
Ba
He/she/They
Non-human personal pronouns
Class
SG
PL
I
O
Ba
II
Dɪ
Ya
III
Ka
Sɪ
IV
Kʊ
Tɪ
V
Kʊ
Dɪ
Emphatic Pronounsedit
Person
SG
PL
Gloss
1st
amʊ
dcbam
Me/we
2nd
nmʊ
abam
You/you
3rd
wʊm/wʊntu
bam/bantʊ
He/she/they
Reciprocal Pronounsedit
Reciprocity is expressed by the pronoun daanɪ, which sometimes occurs as a prefix or suffix.
kasena, language, kasena, kassena, kasem, kassem, language, kassena, ethnic, group, language, spoken, upper, east, region, northern, ghana, burkina, faso, kasenaregionghana, burkina, fasoethnicitykassenanative, speakers, cited, 1998, 2004, language, familynige. 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 KasenaRegionGhana Burkina FasoEthnicityKassenaNative speakers 250 000 cited 1998 2004 1 Language familyNiger Congo Atlantic CongoGurSouthernGurunsiNorthernKasenaWriting systemLatin GoulsseLanguage codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code xsm class extiw title iso639 3 xsm xsm a Glottologkase1253The region in which the Kassena people live in Ghana and Burkina Faso Contents 1 Orthography 2 Phonology 2 1 Tone 3 Grammar 3 1 Noun Class System 3 2 Pronouns 3 2 1 Personal Pronouns Possessive Pronouns 3 2 2 Emphatic Pronouns 3 2 3 Reciprocal Pronouns 3 2 4 Reflexive Pronouns 3 2 5 Relative Pronouns 3 2 6 Indefinite Pronouns 3 3 2 7 Demonstrative Pronouns 3 3 2 8 Interrogative Pronouns 3 4 Syntax 4 1 Word Order 5 References 6 External linksOrthography editAn independent 30 letter alphabet called the Goulsse alphabet from gʋlse writing in Moore was devised by Burkinabe 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 Moore language as well 2 Phonology editTone edit 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 3 Lexical AA I AA You PL Grammatical WuWuNegation WuWuFuturGrammar editNoun Class System edit 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 3 Gender SG PL Gloss1 bu bie child children2 bɪnɪ bɪna year s 3 naga nɛ foot feet4 piu pweeru montain s 5 bʊŋʊ bʊm goat s Pronouns edit Personal Pronouns Possessive Pronouns edit 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 Person SG PL Gloss1st A Di I we2nd N A You you3rd O Ba He she TheyNon human personal pronouns Class SG PLI O BaII Dɪ YaIII Ka SɪIV Kʊ TɪV Kʊ DɪEmphatic Pronouns edit Person SG PL Gloss1st amʊ dcbam Me we2nd nmʊ abam You you3rd wʊm wʊntu bam bantʊ He she theyReciprocal Pronouns edit Reciprocity is expressed by the pronoun daanɪ which sometimes occurs as a prefix or suffix Ba3PLsoelikedaanɪ each otherBa soe daanɪ 3PL like each other They like each other 3 Reflexive Pronouns edit Reflexivity is expressed by a personal pronoun to which either tɪtɪ or katɪ self is added O3SGcɔgɪdestroyo3SGtɪtɪ selfO cɔgɪ o tɪtɪ 3SG destroy 3SG self He destroys himself 3 Relative Pronouns edit Relative pronouns are formed on the basis of the personal pronouns for non human entities to which the suffix lʊ is attached 3 Class SG PLI wʊlʊ balʊII dɪlʊ yalʊIII kalʊ sɪlʊIV kʊlʊ tɪlʊV kʊlʊ dɪlʊIndefinite Pronouns 3 edit Class Number Certain Some AnyI SG wʊdoŋ wʊlʊ wʊlʊI PL badonne badaara balʊ balʊII SG dɪ doŋ dɪlʊ dɪlʊII PL yadonne yadaara yalʊ yalʊIII SG kadoŋ kalʊ kalʊIII PL sɪdonne sɪdaara sɪlʊ sɪlʊIV SG kudoŋ kʊlʊ kʊlʊIV PL tɪdonne tɪdaara tɪlʊ tɪlʊV SG kudoŋ kʊlʊ kʊlʊV PL dɪdonne dɪdaara dɪlʊ dɪlʊDemonstrative Pronouns 3 edit Class SG Gloss PL GlossI wuntu this that bantu these thoseII dɪntu this that yantu these thoseIII kantu this that sɪntu these thoseIV kuntu this that tɪntu these thoseV kuntu this that dɪntu these thoseInterrogative Pronouns 3 edit Class SG who what which PL who what which How muchI wɔɔ bra bagraII dɔɔ yɔɔ yagraIII kɔɔ sɔɔ sɪgraIV kɔɔ tɔɔ tɪgraV kɔɔ dɔɔ dɪgraSyntax editWord Order edit The Kasena language has a basic SVO word order AdaAdadiimyesterdaytoŋe work PFVAda diim toŋe Ada yesterday work PFV Ada worked yesterday 4 References edit Kasena at Ethnologue 18th ed 2015 subscription required Brookes Tim August 23 2022 The Vanderbilt Burkina Faso Connection Endangered Alphabets Retrieved January 30 2023 a b c d e f g h Niggli Urs Niggli Idda 2008 Grammaire elementaire du kasim Burkina Faso Societe Internationale de Linguistique The VP periphery in Mabia languages Kasem The VP periphery in Mabia languages Retrieved 2023 02 17 External links editLanguages of Ghana Kassena Ninkarse org Riddles in Kasena The VP periphery in Mabia languages Web version of Ethnologue nbsp This article about Gur languages is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kasena language amp oldid 1145224821, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,