Introduction

This dictionary is intended to serve four purposes:

  1. To provide a reference vocabulary for foreigners learning Konkomba.
  2. To enable newly literate Konkombas to develop their understanding of English.
  3. To stabilise the spelling of the Konkomba language.
  4. To help establish Konkomba (Likpakpaanl) as a written language.

This version of the Likpakpaanl (Konkomba) dictionary is the fourth edition which is currently available only in electronic form. An attempt has been made to use the Saboba (Lichabol) dialect throughout, but there may be inconsistencies since most of the work has been carried out over a period when the editors were constantly moving. Miss Mary Steele of the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation provided the initial data and vocabulary. Margaret Langdon and Mary J. Breeze compiled the first edition of the dictionary based on the original data provided by Mary Steele. David Brown Magbaan of Gbeedo, (Saboba) Emmanuel Mayetiba Liwaalmɔ of Ekumdipe (whose forefathers migrated from Gbadagbam) and George Uwumbɔrbi Biwiin (Tilangbeni) gave of their time and energy in checking and adding to this information, and the literature sub-committee of the Konkomba Literacy Committee of Ghana, and a number of voluntary supervisors proof-read and approved the final copy. Dr. J. B. Hall and Dr. W. D. Swain of the Botany Department of the University of Legon also kindly helped in identifying some of the trees in the appendix (not yet in the this web version). We are sincerely thankful for the invaluable help of all contributors. This is a web edition of the third printed edition which is an expanded and revised form of the original dictionary. It has been edited by Mary Steele. Thanks are due to those who keyboarded it on computer, to Mr Hannes Hirzel for his expertise in lexicography, who also supervised all the technicalities of the computer version, and to Dr. Tony Naden who gave linguistic advice. Thanks to Greg Trihus and Philip Perry of SIL for providing the web publication platform. Spelling and Orthography The orthography follows that which is used in the literature currently in print in Konkomba. This means that long and short vowels are distinguished by the use of single and double letters respectively. (e.g. a, aa) Tone is not marked, but where two words contrast only in tone and the context is unlikely to indicate which is which, an /h/ has been added after the vowel in one of the words. (e.g. upii - woman, upiih - sheep) There are certain variations which may occur in the same speaker's speech. For example, sometimes he may use the /r/ sound and sometimes the /l/ sound. Also, there may be variations between one speaker and another within the same village (e.g. some use the plural tiib and some teeb). In these cases, an arbitary decision has been made about the spelling. Mary Steele December 2012 SIL International Address  

 

There is a publication Teach yourself to read and write Konkomba (10 lessons, GILLBT, year ??)

Here are the scans of all the pages of this publication: Cover Index

Content pages: (note: Page 5 is the first page of the book after the index) 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Another publication:

Introduction to learning Konkomba (GILLBT, for foreigners), scans of the first five pages. p. 1 p. 2 p. 3 p. 4 p. 5