Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 24, 2026

Gua language

Gua is a Guang language spoken in many parts of Ghana including the Gonja, in the northern Savannah Region, the Nchumurus in the Northern, Oti and Bono East Regions, the people of Larteh, Okere, Anum and Boso, the people of Winneba, Senya Beraku, Buem, Achode, Nkonya, Krachi, Santrokofi, Adele and Wuripong all in the Oti Region.

Last revised
Jun 24, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
289 w
Citations
8
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Gua
Native toGhana
Native speakers
60,000 (2003)1
Dialects
  • Anu (Anum)
  • Boso
Language codes
ISO 639-3gwx
Glottologguaa1238

Gua is a Guang language spoken in many parts of Ghana including the Gonja, in the northern Savannah Region, the Nchumurus in the Northern, Oti and Bono East Regions, the people of Larteh, Okere, Anum and Boso, the people of Winneba, Senya Beraku, Buem, Achode, Nkonya, Krachi, Santrokofi, Adele and Wuripong all in the Oti Region.

Phonology

Vowels

Gua has nine phonemic oral vowels and seven phonemic nasal vowels. There are four allophonic vowels produced by ATR harmony.2

Gua vowels
Front Central Back
oral nasal oral nasal oral nasal
-ATR +ATR -ATR +ATR -ATR +ATR -ATR +ATR -ATR +ATR -ATR +ATR
Close /ɪ/ /i/ /ɪ̃/ /ĩ/ /ʊ/ /u/ /ʊ̃/ /ũ/
Mid /ɛ/ /e/ /ɛ̃/ /ẽ/a /ɔ/ /o/ /ɔ̃/ /õ/a
Open /a/ /ɜ/a /ã/ /ɜ̃/a
  1. /ẽ/, /õ/, /ɜ/, and /ɜ̃/ are +ATR allophonic variants of /ɛ̃/, /ɔ̃/, /a/, and /ã/ respectfully.

Consonants

Gua consonants3
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labial-velar Glottal
plain labial plain labial plain labial plain labial plain labial plain labial
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ ŋʷ ŋm ŋmʷ
Plosive/Affricate Voiceless p t tɕ tɕʷ k kʷ kp
Voiced b bʷ d dʷ dʑ g gʷ gb
Fricative f fʷ s h hʷ
Approximant l lʷ j w
Trill r

Tone

Gua has two basic tones, high and low.

Downstep occurs in High-Low-High tone sequences.2

References

References

  1. Gua at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Obiri-Yeboah, Michael; Rose, Sharon (2021-04-13). "Vowel harmony and phonological phrasing in Gua". Springer Nature. 40: 159-193. doi:10.1007/s11049-021-09509-y.
  3. Obiri, Michael Yeboah (2013). "Aspects of Gua (Gwa) Phonology". University of Ghana: 52.
External links