Gokana (Gòkánà)

Gokana is a member of the East Ogoni group of Cross River languages, a branch of the Benue-Congo language family. It is spoken mainly in Gokana Local Government Area in the southeast of Rivers State in southern Nigeria.

Gokana is written with the Latin alphabet. Dialects include Biara and Bodo.

Gokana alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Gokana (Excel)
Details of the Gokana alphabet provide by Wolfram Siegel (PDF)

Notes

At the end of words, b is pronounced [b̥̚] and g is pronounced [ɡ̊̚]
Between vowels, g is pronounced [ɣ] and between nasal vowels it is pronounced [ŋ].
Before other vowels, i is prounced [i̯] or [iʲ]
Before consonants, m and n are syllabic
Before nasal vowels, v is prounced [ṽ]
Tones are not always marked

Sample text

Jíìzọ̀s beè gboó kọ́ nèva kọ, “Boo tṍó e o gé tãagaí ló Bàrì, kọi naanii vóí: ‘Tẹ̀: Ka á di ló o bée. E banì kọ ó dù gé lẹ̀ẹ̀là bel ló gbò nen.
Olòó nèi gyã́á e a é gbõomaí ló bu dee.
Ia ló bẹẹ pọ́lọ́ nèi, mè beéle ia ló nè dénè gbò e a síi pọ́lọ́. Ó gá zìgà kọ é dọ m dàg.’ ”

Source: https://gokanabible.org/#bible

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos in Gokana

Information about Gokana | Numbers

Links

Information about Gokana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gokana_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gokana
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/goka1239
https://lingweb.eva.mpg.de/channumerals/Gokana.htm
https://abjournals.org/article-pdf/IJLLL_UBZPS00D.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231908508_Does Gokana really have no syllables Or what's so great about being universal

Benue-Congo languages

Ahwai, Akum, Alumu, Anaang, Berom, Cara, Eleme, Eloyi, Firan, Gokana, Jju

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 17.09.26. Last modified: 17.09.26

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