THE SISSAALA GROUP OF LANGUAGES (GURMA)

 GURMA LANGUAGES

The people of Sissaala are located in the Upper West Region of Ghana. It is a very distinct language that has linguistic affinities with just its sister languages. Sissaala and its sister languages belong to the Gurma language group and they are Sissaala, Templima, Vagla, Mo, Chala and Ntrubo. Kasem is a language isolate but then, it has Sissaala borrowings which “may” call for Kasem being part of this family although Kasem is part of the Gurunsi ethnic group. The name Sissaala is a corruption of Nseba meaning “I said” in Sissaala. So from Nseba it gradually corrupted to Isela then Isala and gradually to its modern name Sissaala.

There is no certainty as to where they had migrated from because oral history continues that they migrated from several areas to form clans. And the several clans came together to form a wider Sissaala community. Furthermore, the once unified Sissaala community separated over an issue or quarrel that came up due to the sharing of a head of a dog. The separation led to the birth of the Templima, Vagla, Mo, Chala and Ntrubo tribes. Sissaala spoken in the Upper West Region of Ghana has two main dialects, the Gibalga dialect and Paasaal dialect. The Sissaala are located in the Upper West Region typically the Sissaala West and Sissaala East districts. Sissaala has borrowings from Kasem, Buli and Kantonsi linking it to the Gurunsi languages.

Now we had earlier learnt about the Mo. The Sissaala are not only those we know to be in the Upper West region but then the Templima (Daboya District), Mo (Wenchi-Kintampo), Vagla (Bole-Bamboi) and

Chala (Oti Region) are all part of the Sissaala family who had perhaps migrated from their original homeland to make settlements at their present locations.

Sissaala and the other languages earlier mentioned share an amazing chunk of mutual intelligibility that learning the language of the other would not be much of a problem to a speaker of let us say Templima. We would study briefly on all those languages to have fair idea on them.

Templima is spoken in and around Daboya and its communities. Those who speak Templima are called Tampolensi. The Templima live with the Gonjas so one would naturally expect them to be natively bilingual in Templima and in Gonja. Of course, they have borrowings from Gonja into their language. As well, they have borrowings from the neighbouring Dagaare language which is a Mole-Dagbon language hence, Templima is also like the Mole-Dagbon languages and quite divergent from its family of languages. Aside Daboya and its environs, the Templima are also highly concentrated in Tamale and in the East-Mamprusi district of the North-East Region.

The Tampolensi are believed to have assisted the Mamprusi in the 17^th Century when the Mamprusi were in war against their neighbours and the Tampolensi came in to assist them. Thus, after the war, they were settled in target areas around East-Mamprusi leading to the present Templima settlement in the North-East Region. It is continued that the name “Templima” is of Mampruli origin. “Tobu” in Mampruli means “war” and “piin” means “to cut off/severe” hence “Tob’ piin” meaning “those who cut off head during war.” Tobpiin is what has gradually evolved into what we call Templima till date.

Back to Tamale, the Templima are multilingual in Dagbanli, Gonja (Ngbanye) and in Templima itself whereas those in the North-East Region are biilingual in Mampruli and in Templima. The Templima are located at Asalikoowu around Wa; and in the Northern Region they could be found at Daboya, Langbinsi, Taari, Mankarigu and Diisa. A dialect of Templima called Chakali is spoken in the Upper West region. Chakali has assimilated lot of Dagaare/Wali words including Sissaala proper.

Safalba and Vagla are sister languages spoken side by side in the West Gonja district. Safalba is a Mole-Dagbon language just like Hanga but then, due to Safalba closeness to Vagla, they have assimilated much of Guan culture and Sissaala culture as well. Vagla varies considerably from Templima and from Sissaala as well although Templima speakers have less trouble understanding it as compared to Sissaala speakers trying to understand Vagla. They mostly view themselves as Guans and as such they are good speakers of Guan. Safalba, Vagla and Hanga are spoken within the Bamboi areas. The Vagla are said to have separated from the Sissaala due to a quarrel that occurred at modern Sissaala land during a fetish ceremony. The Vagla have Tuna as their chief community and paramouncy.

We had earlier learnt about Mo from the story of Kintampo. The Mo people also known as Dega are found in the Bono-East region, Kintampo and surrounding communities. They are the most unique of the Sissaala speakers as they have been greatly influenced by southern Gonja and the Bono language. They speak with the Akan accent so at fist audit, one may perceive their language as an Akan or Guan language unless one listens carefully. They also have extensive Guan and Akan borrowings which makes the Mo language very unique among its relatives. Mo speakers also speak the Bono-Twi and at times Asante Twi.

Ntrubo and Chala are closely related languages spoken in the Oti Region which are also of Sissaala origin. Some Ntrubo identify themselves as Guan perhaps due to the fact that they have lived with the Guans and Akans for centuries in the Oti Region. Ntrubo has lots of Akan, Guan and Gidere borrowings making their language very unique as well. The number ten (10) in Ntrubo which should be originally “Fi” has been modified to look like the Guan Kudu; hence the Ntrubo says it as Kufu.

We would at this in juncture consider the numerical systems of the Sissaala languages in comparison to Hanga and Safalba to establish the facts. Then we shall proceed to their common courtesies. Bear in mind that Hanga and Safalba are Mole-Dagbon whereas the rest are under Gurma (Sissaala languages).

 

SISSAALA GROUP OF LANGUAGES						MOLE-DAGBON
No.	Sissaala	Mo (Deg)	Vagla	Templima	Ntrubo	Safalba	Hanga
1	Modoŋ	Kpee	Kpee	Adiika	Dɔkɔrɔ/Dale	Kpanleri	Yinni
2	Bɛlɛ	Nɛɛ	Nɛɛ	Alewa	Ala	Ayi	Ayi
3	Botro	Toro	Horo	Atora	Atoro	Ata	Ata
4	Bana	Naarɛ	Naazu	Anaasi	Anaara	Anaasi	Anaasi
5	Bamu	Ami	Nue	Inyuu	Anu	Anuu	Anuu
6	Bagbu	Numɛɛl	Numbɛl	Anora	Iloro	Ayɔbe	Ayoobu
7	Bapɛ	Nuanɛ	Nidaanɛ	Anopei	Nyɛtoro	Ayopoi	Ayopoɛ
8	Tsoli	Nuatoro	Ŋmantanazi	Gmenasa	Janara	Anii	Anii
9	Nɛmɛ	Nuanarɛ	Kabɛl	Dikito	Kadale	Awãi	Awãi
10	Fi	Fi	Fi	Fii	Kufu	Pie	Piiya

 

In terms of the variations we are trying to establish, indeed these languages are Gurma languages together with Bimoba, Basari, Kokomba, Kotokoli and few other languages spoken in Togo like Lukpa, Kabre, Loso etc. But then if we should limit our scope to Ghana we can then conclude that Gurma languages have Northern, Western, Southern and Eastern divisions.

Northern Gurma would be Sissaala (Paasaal and other dialects) and Templima. Southern Gurma would be Ntrubo, Chala, Kotokoli and other languages within the area. Eastern Gurma would then include Bimoba, Kokomba, and Basari etc. Western Gurma would be the languages of Mo, Vagla and other dialects within.

Bimoba although Gurma has lots of Mole-Dagbon borrowings most especially from Mampruli making it easier for Bimoba speakers to understand Mampruli but the otherwise for Mampruli speakers trying to understand Bimoba in its spoken form.

 

COMMON COURTESY IN SISSAALA

WOBULꜪꜪ	BULꜪ	WORD	RESPONSE
Idu oo!	Oo!	How are you?	I am fine!
Idie pinɔɔ!	Oo!	Good morning!	Good morning!
Wise pee!	Oo!	Good afternoon!	Good afternoon!
Ngbaŋ na!	Gbana pe!	Good evening!	Good evening!
Etuɔ laŋa!	Ami!	Thank you!	Do not mention
Nsu miŋ!		I beg you!
Asalamu walekum!	Waleku salam!	Welcome! Or Peace

(Credit: Amidu Ibrahim, Nungua)

COMMON COURTESY IN TEMPLIMA

SHANSHAMA	SHEHIN	WORD	RESPONSE
Eduyere?	Mkpagu alanfiau!	How are you?	I am fine!
Ma anshumaa!	Awoo!	Good morning!	Good morning!
Ma anteree!	Awoo!	Good afternoon!	Good afternoon!
Ma anunwula!	Awoo!	Good evening!	Good evening!
Nzaamuu!		Thank you!
Nsum hinu!		I beg you!
Ma jaari!	Awoo!	Welcome!

(Credit: Idrisu Zeinab, Tamale)

COMMON COURTESY IN SAFALBA

BULU	TƆGUMA	WORD	RESPONSE
Iŋa be wuna?	Alanfia be bee!	How are you?	I am fine!
Yega be wuna?	Alanfia be bee!	How was the sleep!	Very well!
Tsɔsɔɔ!	Awoo! Or Ejenyia!	Good morning!	Good morning!
Ani ŋminiŋa!	Awoo! Or Ŋmina tɛɛ!	Good afternoon!	Good afternoon!
Ani zaanɔre!	Awoo!	Good evening!	Good evening!
Ani tuuma!	Awoo!	Thank you!	Do not mention
Nsɔtrɛnaa!		I beg you!
Janjawɔ!	Awoo!	Welcome! Or Peace

(Credit: Hajia Abrewa, Bole)