Kabiyè Dictionary (Tɔm Kpou)
Kabiyè is the second national language of Togo, spoken by over one million people in the Kara Region and its diaspora in Ghana and beyond. Search any word in Kabiyè, English, or French — free to use, no login, works on any phone.
Open the Dictionary →About the Kabiyè language
Kabiyè is an Eastern Gurunsi Gur language spoken primarily in the Kara Region of northern Togo and in communities across Ghana. It is one of only two national languages of Togo — used in schools, national radio broadcasts, and official communications. Unlike many minority languages in West Africa, Kabiyè holds a recognized place in the country’s public life.
The Kabiyè people are renowned for the Evala festival, held every July in the mountains of the Kara Region. Evala is an initiation rite during which young men wrestle in public after a week of fasting and solitary preparation. It is one of the most distinctive traditional ceremonies in West Africa and remains a living part of Kabiyè identity.
The Kabiyè dictionary on Language Roots Hub was built from reference material originally compiled by SIL International and the missionary-linguist Jacques Delord, then extended with English and French translations. The dictionary contains over 7,800 entries searchable in all three languages.
Articles about Kabiyè language and culture
The people and the language
- Who Are the Kabiyè People? The Language of the Northern Mountains
- The Kabiyè Language: Origins, Speakers, and Linguistic Features
- Building a Digital Dictionary for Kabiyè
Festivals and the calendar
- The Evala Festival: Kabiyè Wrestling, Initiation, and Cultural Identity
- The 12 Kabiyè Months: Agriculture, Seasons and Tradition in Northern Togo
Kabiyè books and calendars
- The Kabiyè Phrase Book: Learn the Language of Northern Togo
- The Kabiyè Wall Calendar 2027: A Year in Togo’s Second National Language
- Visit the Language Roots Hub Store